Moving to Calgary

Round 2

2011-07-14T13:52:00.002-06:00

May 2011:

USA creates 18000 jobs

Canada creates 28000 jobs

of those, 22 000 are in Alberta

6000 people head to Alberta in the first 3 months of 2011.

So I moved to Calgary. Part 2. Begins now.

CBC's "left wing" Rex Murphy

2010-10-03T12:53:00.001-06:00

Alberta has a problem right now. It’s Mr. Stelmach, a leader with less charisma than the sell-by date stamp on a tin of Aylmer soup. Ever so plainly put, Ed Stelmach is neither the voice nor the face to make the case for Alberta’s number one industry, at a time when that industry is the black-circled target du jour of every Gaia-stoked enviro in the world — along with the more hysterical of the global warming brigade that are blazoning Alberta and the oil sands as the No.1 Horror of the Cosmos.

There’s nothing personal in this. This is a time at which his province and its industry needs a champion, someone who can talk the track off a D-12 dozer, and has the courage and skill to take on everyone from Hollywood satraps to the NGO militias that are at work day and night to brand Alberta as the environmental bad boy of the entire planet.

Think Quebec has a PR problem? It’s only got a snowman on the cover of Maclean’s. Alberta is being trashed continuously from continent to continent by bands of the most savvy publicists and propagandists — from Al Gore to Greenpeace to the IPCC itself — that play the game of cause politics.

Well, I have a solution, or at least a modest proposal.

We’ve got to get some Danny Williams transplanted into Ed Stelmach — and, for more pacific reasons, some Ed Stelmach to cool down the vapour in Danny’s jets. But the latter can wait. It’s the Williams transplant into Stelmach that’s urgent. Alberta needs to translate some of the relentless fighting spirit, the ability to fly into volcanic outrage on the drop of a hat, the remorseless scourging of opponents that are Mr. Williams’ defining gifts into the more quiescent bosom of Mr. Stelmach.

Now I know this is technically avant garde and will require at the very least a magnificently equipped science facility, or better yet, a cutting edge Hollywood studio. Maybe Jim Cameron can help. But short of some such drastic intervention there is no way Alberta can defend her interest or her honour against the troop of ruthless, even fanatic opponents that are banded against her.

Perhaps, while we’re waiting for projet The Avalon Avatar, as I’m coming to call it, to ripen we might organize a few more mundane backups. It would be good to see other regions of the country, and the federal authorities, make themselves much more present and supportive in the defence of the oil sands than they have been. Every province, directly or indirectly, has a stake in the great high-tech endeavour of the oil sands. Let me take again the familiar example of the East Coast after the cod moratorium of the early ’90s. It is almost beyond measurement how much misery and economic distress was forestalled because the oil patch offered thousands of jobs, at just the right time, to those displaced from the fishery. The social good provided by the oil sands belongs in the equation at least as much as its environmental downside.

Nor is it just just the East Coast that has benefited. The whole country has been shielded from the sharpest edges of the current recession in large part because of the industry in Alberta. The federal government and Ontario wouldn’t perhaps as easily have bailed out GM with $13-billion of tax money were there not an Alberta oil patch. Nor is it for those in all our high-energy big cities — with their office towers and vast parkways, hospitals and universities, commerce and industry, hotels and stadiums — to turn up their refined noses at the “dirty site” that feeds their voracious need for energy.

There’s one other point I think is worth making. Why aren’t we proud of the oil sands? The question shouldn’t strike anyone as strange. But why, then, is the default response to a mention of the oil sands too often a metaphorical shuffling of the feet and a hangdog look of shame? Properly understood, the work of investigating, mining, processing and building the infrastructure to extract the oil — the whole complex of engineering and techological achievement represented by the oil sands — should be a story of Canadian triumph. It’s as singular an achievement in its way as a genuine masterwork of literature or art. This is some of the most sophisticated, pioneering work of its kind in the entire world.

You know, if the folks in Parliament were looking for one clear, shining moment of unanimity this week, they might well have considered — instead of the shameless blast at freedom of the press over something as trivial as a magazine cover — expressing in a motion a sense of national solidarity and pride in one of the great industrial projects in the history of Canada. They could have come out foursquare and unamimous in support of the beleagured oil sands.

But maybe that’s too much to hope for. Such a motion, after all, would inevitably be contaminated by elements of political courage.

Few things shock me

2010-01-23T20:13:00.003-07:00

A buddy of mine who is a trainer at a local fitness club likes drinking but for obvious reasons doesn't. Tonight he gave me a couple of bottles of Molson Canadian 67. If you haven't heard it's the beer with only 67 calories per bottle..or about half what a normal beer has. It's 3%.

And I'm shocked to say this, but it's actually GOOD. I expected this horribly watered down crap but the beer actually has a bite and some flavour. It is not a distinctive taste and won't win any medals, but if you're looking to cut calories you should try it.

I'll give it a 4 out of 5.

Nellies fined for food infractions

2010-01-23T18:50:00.002-07:00

Nellie's is a popular breakfast cafe in Calgary and is what I'd call a fixture in the Calgary landscape. Nellie's has been around for as long as I can remember (pre - 2002) and has expanded recently including having places in the suburbs.

Roxanne Taylor-King is the owner of the Nellie's franchise in Calgary and was charged somewhere around $61 000 dollars for food infractions that have occurred over the past 12 years. I highlighted "past 12 years" because I think that's the real story in this story. This isn't a one off violation, it's dozens of violations that have happened over the course of more than a decade. To use a comparison, it's like someone getting charged with impaired. One might be able to forgive someone that is charged once, but if they are charged repeatedly that changes the perception on who that person is. "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it. And I think that's fundamentally what Roxanne Taylor King doesn't understand. You can't' say sorry with 12 years of violations.

I think I reviewed Nellie's on this blog some years ago but I'm too lazy to go search for it. What I will say is that I am not really a fan. It's not the food that I didn't like, but the atmosphere. I always found the tables to be crammed in too close to each other. I like to have a certain amount of privacy when I'm eating, I don't need to be able to see the time on the guys watch sitting next to me. I often wondered if her tables were put closer together just to produce more revenue per square foot. The other reason I didn't like Nellie's was that it was always uncomfortably warm in those places. In winter, it was stuffy, but summer the places had no air flow. I used to wonder how much it would cost for a simple ceiling fan. Both reasons are why I never really frequented those places.

I drove by Nellie's the other day and the place was empty. I suspect that in a few more weeks Nellie's will go bankrupt. I don't think there is anything that Roxanne can say to convince people to give her a second chance. People like eating out and they put their trust in the hands of the restaurant. There is no excuse for 12 years of violations.

Woo hoo...now if the Flames could just win...

2010-01-21T22:57:00.001-07:00

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/economic-revival-sweeping-western-canada/article1439509/

Mere months after Alberta took the crown as Canada's fastest-growing home to the unemployed, the province finds itself at the heart of an economic revival that is sweeping Western Canada.

Confidence has come roaring back to the resource sector that dominates the western provinces, as new hope for global economic growth fuels optimism that the see-saw of the past few years has given way to a more stable future for crude, metals and fertilizer.

All of that has translated into a sudden upshift on the levers of investment in Western Canada, as corporate leaders who have spent the past year biding their time and refining their plans now move billions of dollars to seize a moment for which they've been waiting. The latest came Thursday, when Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. CNQ-T said it is nearing a major new spending outlay in the oil sands.

“The West is on fire,” said Adam Waterous, Scotia Capital's Calgary-based head of global investment banking. “It's fantastic news for the country. These are big, big projects that are going to get developed. And there's no question that the West is going to lead the country out of the recession.”

The change has been propelled largely by signs of an economic recovery and forecasts of accelerating growth, which all point to renewed demand for the products the West has to offer.

“The industry is starting to accept that we are through the dip,” said Steve Spence, president of Osum Oil Sands Corp., which said this week that it has sought the province's regulatory nod for a 35,000 barrel-per-day oil sands project. “Not that things have gone crazy again, but that it's safe to start moving projects forward.”

Osum's project was just one in a string of high-profile announcements this week, which together have been industry's way of saying “We're back,” said David McColl, research director at the Canadian Energy Research Institute.

Energy executives were mindful of the sustained oil rally during year-end board meetings, a time of year when important development decisions are often made.

Oil has now traded at higher than $70 (U.S.) a barrel for more than six months. The stability has sparked a rebound the oil sands industry, which a year ago was suffering so badly that Suncor Energy Inc. posted its first red ink in nearly two decades.

Now, new projects have come flooding back. This week alone, Husky Energy Inc. and BP PLC have pressed ahead with their $2.5-billion Sunrise project; ConocoPhillips Co. and Total SA revealed an 83,000 barrel-a-day expansion of their Surmont project, estimated at $1.5-billion; and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. said it hopes to announce an expansion of its Horizon mine by year-end.

Still, some worry about a return of the problems seen during the boom, such as soaring costs for labour and materials.

“We're in kind of a sweet spot right now, where we're seeing a nice, steady but maintainable stream of projects coming online,” ATB Financial senior economist Todd Hirsch said. “But by May and June, if [companies] are all starting to pile in again, costs are going to get way out of reach for these guys and it will be the same thing all over again.”

And some key areas are still weak. Natural gas prices are below levels many companies require for solid profits, undermining what has long been a bedrock of the Alberta economy.

The resource industry is betting, however, most commodity prices will remain firm. In B.C., a mining boom has been pumped up by solid gold and copper prices, a key environmental approval last week and the ongoing construction of the province's first new mine in a decade.

“The story is really the return of robust demand out of Asia, primarily for minerals, metals and industrial raw materials,” said Jock Finlayson, executive vice-president of the Business Council of British Columbia. Strong commodity prices also provide companies the opportunity to negotiate favourable long-term fixed-price contracts.

The B.C. government made a move Thursday to maintain that boom by extending an important flow-through mining tax credit for three years, until 2013. B.C. has also found itself with surging natural gas fortunes. Recent blockbuster land sales for the Horn River and Montney plays in the province's northeast are now translating into production that is expected to grow by 6.3 per cent in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Even B.C.'s long-suffering forestry sector has caught a glimmer of hope with an unexpected surge in demand from China.

The good news has extended to Saskatchewan, too, where oil companies are rushing to drill more wells in the lucrative Bakken play, two promising gold properties are being developed and the improving outlook for potash, one of the province's mainstays, brought a $240-million (U.S.) funding commitment this week from BHP Billiton Ltd., which is working on its proposed Jansen mine.

“We feel there are grounds for cautious optimism,” said Roy Schneider, a spokesman with Saskatchewan's Ministry of Energy and Resources. “This may be not an outstanding year, but a solid one.”

Part of the optimism has come from a much better profit outlook. Though it was painful, the past year helped to strengthen many major projects. Sunrise, for example, saw its estimated construction cost drop by 40 per cent. In that sense, the downturn provided a much-needed break to trim fat from projects whose costs had jumped.

“That's helped to bring the cost structure more back in line with what might be sustainable over the longer term,” said Dave Collyer, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

I love Chinooks

2010-01-16T19:12:00.002-07:00

I spent last winter in Edmonton..and winter in Edmonton is a long, arduous hell and you can't wait for it to end. Months pass and the temperature never gets above -10C.

December was a pretty cold month in Calgary, we had weeks of temperatures that stayed below -25C. I don't mind the cold really..but I get sick of warming up my car & even more sick of slogging around in a half frozen city buried in snow. No wait, let me speak from the heart on this...it drives me FUCKING insane slogging around in a frozen wasteland buried in snow & constantly warming up the car. Or..having car windows constantly covered in frost on the inside. That is..without doubt one of the most ANNOYING things.

So..weeks passed and we had a bit of warming but nothing serious. Then came my best friend..the great Chinook of 2010. And the first one. It was -25C and suddenly it was 10C..and it's been 10C for at least 8 days. Gone are those ruts in the road. Gone is the piles of snow on the unplowed downtown streets. Gone is the gritty snow frozen to the ground making driving and walking annoying. And gone is most of the 2 gallons of window wash I used trying to keep my windshield clean

According to the Weather Network, it looks like we've got a few more days of Chinook weather left. I must admit it's incredibly disheartening to realize that it's only January and..several more months of winter lie ahead.

But that is life in Calgary and while winter is long, it's broken up by a soft warm wind that comes into town and makes everyone happen. If you don't live in Calgary or Southern Alberta, the best way I can describe a Chinook is like this. It's like being married for 20 years and having a 3 day affair with a very hot guy/girl complete with an ass so tight you can bounce a quarter off it. It's a few days of bliss in an otherwise long and exhausting event.

Mr Chinook. I am your fan. You are the snow plow of Calgary.

You know Stelmach is in trouble when.....

2010-01-16T18:52:00.002-07:00

One could give you a million reasons why Ed Stelmach and the Conservatives are in trouble in Alberta. The polls showing the Wildrose Alliance with 40% of support. The endless slew of angry letters to the newspaper decrying what a loser this guy is, etc, etc, etc.

But you really know you're in trouble when conservative talk show hosts turn on you. Dave Rutherford of QR77 fame is a Calgary legend and a notoriously right wing talk show host.
Early this week Dave and co host Rob Breckenridge interviewed Mr Stelmach after he did a cabinet shuffle..presumably in the hopes of halting the slide in support for the Conservatives. Ed answered all the questions and sounded very "political"

The next day on the Rutherford show Dave came out guns blazing against Stelmach. Rutherford speaks his mind..and whether you agree with his politics or not it didn't take long to grasp that even right wing radio hosts can't stand the Conservatives & Ed Stelmach. Fuck the polls man, that should scare the shit out of this guy. When the de facto right wing mouthpiece in a right wing city can't stand you...you're toast. with butter.

The end of the 40 year old Conservative dynasty in Alberta is fast approaching. I don't know what will happen in the next election but I'm suspecting that we will have a minority government with the Wildrose Alliance the official government and the Con's the opposition.

Signs of a recovering economy

2010-01-16T18:41:00.003-07:00

If you've lived or frequent Mission (4th Street SW) you've probably seen the area on 4th between 20th and 21st. It's that big gaping hope in the ground now surrounded by wood panels.

When I moved back to Calgary 3 years ago that patch of dirt consisted of a bunch of concrete pillars. It was the peak of the boom yet whatever was being built wasn't being built so it sat there. In 2008, someone came along, ripped out all the cement and dug a massive hole in the ground complete with a massive overhead crane. The thing was huge and had it fallen over, it would have crushed the place I was living in at the time.

Well, the recession hit and once again things ground to a halt. Instead of concrete pillars, now we had a hole that was 60 feet deep in the ground. The crane was still there and seemed to move sometimes but I think that was done remotely to adjust it for prevailing winds. It went idle just after I moved to Edmonton in Nov 2008.

I was coming up the street the other day and notice the crane was back in action. Not sure what's happening but it's nice to see & I hope that it's a return to building something there. A few other job sites around town have returned to the "being built" stage which is a good sign that the recession has probably ended.

I do hope they scale down the "upscale" in the place. The boom was great but I'd like to see my neighborhood STOP being gentrified by upscale condo's.

Presidents Choice Beer

2010-01-16T18:09:00.003-07:00

The guy at my local liquor store and I were having a chat about "red" beer. When I want a good Red beer, I tend to get Wred from Wild Rose because Big Rock doesn't make it. The guy at the liquor store said I should try President's Choice Beer.

I was a bit skeptical at first. I'm not a fan of anything to do with the Superstore. It's big, it's messy & often it's very crowded and they're usually 10 kms away from the neighborhood I live in. I'm also a big fan of buying locally produced beer because I prefer supporting local independent businesses versus nameless corporations that really don't give a shit about me.

Well I did a bit of Googling and I was surprised to find out that PC Beer in Alberta is produced by......BIG ROCK!. With that in mind, I ventured into a Superstore Liquor Store to grab a 6 pack. If you've never been to a Superstore Liquor store it's just a large warehouse that carries "better" beer product but they do not chill it. Their prices are good though I find that some hole in the wall liquor stores do offer cheaper "junk" beer.

PC Red is pretty good. If you want to get a 6 pack for 6 bucks, THIS is the stuff. It doesn't have the swill taste you get from Boxer or "Beer Beer" and was surprisingly good for something that doesn't cost much money. It reminds me of Laker Red, a cheap buck a bottle beer in Ontario brewed by Brick.

My big question I have is....why doesn't Big Rock produce a premium version of this? I love Trad and Grasshopper..and if they added Red to the mix, I'd be a fan forever. Fuck, I'll get a Big Rock tattoo on my ass.

Side note: They've started packing this stuff in 12 packs now complete with cardboard. Makes it way easier to carry

4 out of 5 for this.

Wyldwood is Gone

2010-01-14T22:25:00.002-07:00

I noticed that Wyldwood Pub on 4th Street in Mission was dark a couple of days ago. There is as sign on the door and a ladder in the front area, so I thought perhaps they were renovating. I checked their website tonight and they're gone.

This place has been a pillar of the 4th Street corridor (Mission) for over a decade. They were a brew pub that made their own beer which they sold on site. The upstairs was a restaurant, downstairs was a sports/live music pub and pretty well known. They had some good micro beer on site and it was a decent enough atmosphere. My fondest recollection was from back in 2002 when I was living in Calgary (in Marda Loop at the time) and this chick was just headbanging away to some live band. Classic.

Sorry to see you go Wyldwood & thanks for some kick ass good times. Hopefully something new and NOT upscale will appear in that building.

PS: On a side note, the CPU pizza at 4th and 24th closed for the holidays and never reopened. There is a for lease sign on the window. I liked the guys that ran the place but the outfit could never let go of the past when it was owned by some crazy bitch that freaked on her customers. Here's hoping that it gets a new name and they spend a bit of money fixing it up.

Economic shifts...

2009-12-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

Found this in the Herald...bodes well for Alberta

The axis of influence that used to spike straight through Ontario's Golden Horseshoe made a startling shift as Central Canada started shedding manufacturing muscle while Saskatchewan roared anew and joined Alberta in a coalition of energy superpowers.

When the decade dawned, more than half of Canada's manufacturing was based in Ontario. That percentage has slipped by 10 points since 1999 to the point where Ontario's output had in 2007 already dipped to its lowest level since 2001.

At the mid-point of the decade, the numbers behind the national Gross Domestic Product made a historic realignment. For the first time ever, Alberta and B.C. combined to beat Quebec's GDP. Add the three westernmost provinces together now and their GDP trounces Quebec and all Atlantic Canada provinces while closing in fast on faltering Ontario.
An even more startling trend has emerged in the last half of the decade. Ontario, the alleged heartbeat of the national economy, started recording higher unemployment rates than the national average while the three western beacons kept their jobless numbers far lower.

It could be a blip, of course. The commodity-based western economy tends to ebb and flow with world prices for oil, potash, forestry and agricultural products.

But Doug Porter, deputy chief economist for BMO Capital Markets, doesn't think so.

The 20-year decline in commodity prices prior to the millennium turn became a real rise against all other prices throughout this decade. The double whammy is how it hit Ontario.

"I've seen the manufacturing sector counted out before, but I suspect this one may be a little bit more structural," he says. "It looks like the currency will be relatively robust for a longer period of time. Ontario skated on side by a 60-cent currency in the '90s, but China is a much more formidable competitor now and Ontario manufacturing is moving there."

If you want to glimpse the future, Porter advises Canada to look to Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. "I think they will all grow quite a bit faster than Ontario and Quebec. The big story of the past 10 years has been an economic shift to the West and we're in the middle innings of that move."
The workforce agrees and is voting with their feet.

The giant sucking sound created by people leaving Saskatchewan ended abruptly in 2007 as the province started recording net gains in population. The big loser in the net gains or loss of taxpaying residents was Ontario, where 2006 and 2007 featured a net loss of 50,000 residents. Alberta, incidentally, gained more than that many residents in 2006 alone.
Politically, it will take time to show up. If and when the next seat distribution (just what we need, more backbench MPs) is put into place, Alberta and B.C. will get a dozen more seats while Ontario lands only 10.

When that happens, The West is in politically AND economically.
Tomorrow: The merger that changed Ottawa.

Movie: District 9

2009-12-27T17:38:00.002-07:00

Spent Christmas Eve drinking Big Rock and watching a movie called District 9. The movie had played at the Uptown but, as usual, I'd been so busy I forgot to go see it.

The movie falls into the category of Sci-Fi but it is not the typical Sci Fi special effects type of film. The jist of the film is that in 1982, a space ship filled with 1 million aliens "breaks down" hovering over some city in South Africa. The government saves the aliens but puts them in a camp which effectively becomes a shantytown/ghetto. As time passes, public opinion pushes the government to relocate the aliens to a camp outside of the city. The government hires a company called MNU to relocate them.

The movie is rather graphic at times but it's message is clear. The focus on this film is all about xenophobia & racism with a touch of the hypocrisy of "major corporations & government" peppered in the mix. The aliens could be anyone; blacks, the poor, refugees, etc. Wikus, the character hired to relocate the aliens comes across as one of those near clueless puppets hired to put a positive spin on something that can only be ugly. Both arrogant & annoying, he reminded me of a spokesperson that you'd find in the Bush or Blair governments hired to put a positive spin on the conflict in Iraq. I didn't recognize any of the actors in the movie but they did a great job emulating what their characters were meant to be.

Before I pressed the play button I wasn't sure what to make of this film. The whole concept seemed almost bizarre. The movie turned out to be exactly opposite that; it was one of the better films I've seen recently & it's message was clear and disturbing. This is a film all about xenophobia and all the ugliness that comes with it.

Great flick, worth the rent if you like movies that make you think.

Over Easy - Breakfast in Calgary

2009-12-27T16:57:00.002-07:00

Anyone that's lived in Calgary knows that "the" place to go for Breakfast is usually Nellies. Nellies has locations in all the urban areas of the cities and has expanded into the suburbs. I believe I wrote about Nellies a few years back. I like the place but I find it's often very warm inside the restaurant & the tables are extremely close..giving you a sense of claustrophobia.

Recently, FFWD Weekly and The Eye Opener on CBC wrote/talked about Over Easy, the newest place to eat breakfast in Calgary.

I stopped by the place and I was impressed. The decor inside reminded me of Cafe World, a game you play on Facebook. It's got a sort of hipster feel to it that seems to blend post modern indie with disco (if that's possible). Tables back onto the wall but down the centre is a line of funky IKEA like chairs to seat individuals or people in pairs.

The food is very good, I had a "Threesome" which consisted of eggs over easy, bacon & a pancake. The eggs were done well & the bacon was great. It was thicker than what you'd normally expect & not quite so "cooked". The pancake wasn't anything out of the ordinary but I'm sure they actually served real maple syrup but I could be wrong. I ordered a side of toast which was thick whole wheat bread but the butter comes on the side. It's actually real whipped butter. Not sure I understand why they do that, perhaps some people just put jam on their toast. They also include generous sides of fruit that's actually edible. A swath of a pineapple, watermelon and grapefruit..that were actually very edible (and eat them I did).

The portion sizes were pretty decent from what I could see around me, not too large, but not too small. Like all places in Calgary that focus entirely on breakfast figure to spend around 10 bucks a head including a cup of fair trade coffee. This is an upscale breakfast bar so if you're looking for a deal, this isn't the place. It's located on Edmonton Trail around 8th ave (just up the hill). There is a small strip of interesting food places around there that I didn't realize were there and I think I'll be in that area a bit more.

What I didn't like was that it was hot and stuffy inside; I'd guess around 27C. One thing that irks me about too many businesses in this city is they insist on turning up the heat & don't understand the concept of air flow. Hot is one thing, it's the lack of airflow that is most annoying. Alberta needs to grasp the concept of ceiling fans. The other thing I didn't like was that the tables are a bit too close to each other & you can clearly hear your neighbors conversations. This is not a place to go blend into the woodwork with a plate of Eggs Benny & a cup of coffee.

All in all, I'd say it's pretty damn good and I'd go back again. Keep in mind this is a breakfast cafe, so expect to spend 10 bucks a plate. Over Easy doesn't yet have a website but they do have a domain registered and a website is on the way. The URL is http://www.overeasybreakfast.com/

Strombo on CBC Radio 2

2009-12-20T12:24:00.003-07:00

For as long as I can remember in Canada, CBC Radio 2 was a rather dull FM signal that seemed to appeal to 65 year old men that loved the "classics". A sort of snobbish high brow FM outlet that took tax dollars and played dead European classic musicians to folks with salaries high enough to afford satellite radio or a good internet stream (or CD's). The only time it was anything close to interesting was later at night with shows like Brave New Waves & the short lived Radiosonic (now the URL for a semi bland alternative rock station in Edmonton)

About a year ago someone woke up at the CBC and I guess they decided it might be a good idea to take a national broadcaster and have it actually represent Canada. Far less of those dead European composers & far more of PEI's Two Hours Traffic and Great Lake Swimmers. The station put legendary broadcaster Bob Mackowycz in AM drive and Halifax college radio guy Rich Terfrey in PM drive (Rich is also known as Buck 65).

Recently the CBC acquired the services of Strombo and gave him 4 hours of radio on Sunday nights. Prior to that Strombo had a show on the Corus radio network..a radio network best known for pushing pablum rock to the masses under the guise of being cool. Things happened (which I'm not going to get into) and Strombo ended up on CBC where he also has a TV program called the Hour.

I watch the Hour on occasion, usually on Podcast in iTunes. I'm not an overly big fan of Strombo on TV, sometimes he seems a bit "too cool for school" though I find that's changing as he ages. He does have some interesting guests on the show and I've seen him piss off a few people with some less than polite questions.

I must say I'm absolutely impressed with Strombo on CBC Radio 2. On the radio, he's definitely at his best when he's conversing with someone & as a stand alone broadcaster he's pretty listenable. He comes across much different on radio than TV and I have to say it's for the better. Maybe it's the lack of those red chairs ?

But where Strombo shines is that unlike most of his "indie rock" brethren he understands that music extends beyond the realm of that hippie, granola, left-wing indie rock sound. I'm a huge fan of indie music, but I find far too many people involved in that sound as as narrow and formatted as what you'd hear on a Top 40 station. Radio that plays that music always seems to stay within the narrow confines of the latest greatest "granola eating left wing singer songwriter" sound. Strombo (and the rest of Radio 2) embrace music outside the tight confines of that "indie music" box. You're as likely to hear Cuban influence rhythms on Radio 2 as you are to hear Feist.

The Strombo Show, 8 PM, Sunday nights on 102.1 FM in Calgary. It's a good way to spend Sunday evening.

Don Cherry and Hockey Night in Canada

2009-12-20T11:57:00.003-07:00

Don Cherry. Yawn. Yeah, I realize this guy is a big proponent of hockey AND he's very supportive of the game. He owns/owned the Mississauga Ice Dogs, he's supportive of kids in the game and all in all as a commentator on the game he's pretty good (well at least from an Eastern perspective)

But Cherry makes a good fit for the CBC because both of them seem so "90s". His latest battle with some doctor over head injuries is about as predictable as a Chinook in Calgary..just the Chinook is something you actually look forward too. For the past 15 years, it seems Cherry has become more about shilling the "Don Cherry" brand than having anything compelling to say. He's rants remind me of those types on Twitter who regularly remind you of how wonderful their product is & why you should rush out to buy it. Crass and contrived...

Hell, the whole "Hockey Night in Canada" (or should I say Hockey Night in Eastern Canada) franchise seems tired. I was watching a Flames game at my pub last week on TSN and I couldn't help but notice how slick the whole production was. I suspect the day is coming when CBC will just drop HNIC and TSN will take over.

Impress me Don, do a Coaches Corner during one of the later game sometime. You know..the 3 teams that exist in Western Canada...all of them with better records than your precious Toronto Maple Leafs.

Snow Plows.

2009-12-18T21:13:00.003-07:00

If you listen to certain media over the past few weeks, the number "one" issue in Calgary has been the inability of the city to clear residential streets. On the flip side of this, every single "poll" I've seen on radio/media websites shows that the vast majority of Calgarians really aren't interested in paying more to have their streets cleaned.

Alberta has an admittedly nasty winter. It's comical to watch TV from Toronto and listen to a "severe cold alert" when it's -15C for 3 days in a row. Last winter, while living in Edmonton, I remember it hitting a "high" of -18C and thinking "it's finally warming up". If you're into the whole "it's a dry cold" bullshit, well..trust me, -45C, dry or wet cold is COLD AS FUCK.

If there is anything that's refreshing about Calgary is that most people out here don't go into a panic because there is a bit of snow on the street. A snowdrift on a side street is "normal" and while it's an annoyance, it seems most people don't really give a shit. It's not a provincial disaster if our major roads aren't cleared, people don't fly into a fit of panic, nor is it "breaking news". Most people (not all) just buckle down and drive to work.

Calgary just went through a 2 week spell where it was -40C with the wind chill. Yet, in all that, you rarely heard people complain about the cold. There was no panic, no rabid anger, not incessant complaining at work. And as wind chills pushed -50C around Alberta, life went on. Schools stayed open, people went to work, life went on. I'm sure people dealt with some shit, but it didn't seem to consume their lives.

So all in all, I'll take a two week spell of -35C over a "Ontario severe cold alert" any time. Sure it means poor gas mileage and a cold steering wheel for 20 minutes..but that's a much better choice than listening to endless whining about how -8C is "freezing"

When you aren't appreciated

2009-12-18T20:07:00.004-07:00

I'll predicate this post with the statement that I'm the first to admit that I think the tar sands are "dirty" and that we need to work harder at cleaning them up.

Yet, I find the attitudes of Ontario and Quebec more than a touch annoying in this Copenhagen thing. Here's why:

Quebec: In the history of Confederation, Quebec has received approximately 217 billion dollars in federal transfer payments. Alberta has given up 244 billion dollars. Quebec is a place where tuition is quite cheap & where it's families receive "almost free" daycare. One has to wonder how much of these programs and others are funded by federal transfer payments (of which Alberta contributes the most).

Ontario: The single largest source of CO2 emissions in Canada comes from the Nanticoke, Ontario coal fired electrical plant. If you've ever lived in Ontario (and I'm from Ontario) you know that summers mean smog alerts and high levels of particles in the air. These coal fired plants were scheduled to be shut down 2 years ago, a promise made by the Ontario Liberal government. They are now scheduled to be shut down in 2014, but given the dismal investment in renewable electrical generation, I think that's highly unlikely. For the record, Alberta produces more wind generated electricity than Ontario..and we've got 1/4 the population. Ontario is also a place where it's commonplace for people to commute 150 kms a day to work. One only needs to travel the 401 from Cambridge to Toronto..or the 400 from Barrie to Toronto..or the QEW from Hamilton to Toronto to know the concept of "traffic congestion.

On top of this, Ontario is now a "have not" province & the federal government had to "bail out" their largest industry (car manufacturing) and I think it's pretty easy to assume that petrol dollars were used to help prop up the 10's of thousands of auto jobs in Ontario. Another little mentioned fact is that during the last climate negotiations, the Federal Liberal government EXCLUDED the auto industry when negotiating a climate deal.

Alberta is the economic engine of Canada. The oil sands, dirty or not, have given hope & an income to people all across Canada. They've helped folks from the East coast and Quebec earn a decent income to send money home. The massive investment in the tar sands has fattened up the bottom line of Toronto based banks. The oil sands have given job opportunities to those from the prairies & from BC. The oil sands have injected billions into the pockets of citizens of Canada.

And what does Alberta get in return? Nothing...just ridicule from much of Eastern Canada. Any wonder why so many of the people in this province always feel slighted by the "East"?

As a person born in the East...there was a time when I didn't understand "western alienation" but now I completely understand it AND I agree with it. And I support it. Rather than stand up and condemn Alberta...the only province that's never received federal transfer payments, perhaps the rest of this country might stand up and say "THANK YOU"

My flag...is blue.

Goodbye Wicked Wedge

2009-10-18T12:11:00.002-06:00

Just got a text from a friend walking down 17th Ave. It appears that the Wicked Wedge on 17th, near 6th Street is gone. I don't know if it's closed down or they are just moving but the website is still up.

The Wedge is an old skool Calgary mainstay. At one time, it was the only place you could get a decent slice of pizza in this city. That has changed and it is possible to get a decent slice of pizza in some locations around the city.

The Wedge was a good place to eat, but it had one problem. It was expensive. A slice of pizza and a can of pop pushed 7-8 bucks making for a pretty expensive lunch or quick snack. With money being tighter perhaps that's why it's gone?

Greenpeace in the Oil Sands

2009-10-15T22:07:00.003-06:00

It's as predictable as snow in October. Once again, Greenpeace have invaded the oil sands in the hopes of spreading their message.

I don't really have a problem with someone protesting; after all it is a free country. Nor will I talk about the "security risks" and "dangers" of climbing up machines in the oil sands to make a point.

The problem with Greenpeace is that they just don't get it. They don't seem to get that the reason the oil sands exist is BECAUSE there is a demand for oil and, in the scheme of things, a growing shortage of easy to extract crude.

The reason that Greenpeace protest up in Fort Mac is because it's all about getting camera time & media attention. You're never going to see Greenpeace heckling shoppers. They will never point out the carbon footprint of a mango. Or a tomato from Mexico. Or a pizza manufactured in Florida.

And I wonder how many of the members of Greenpeace eat fruits & veggies? I'd bet a lot of them. I wonder if any of them give thought to how those mango's, oranges, grapes..etc land on their plate. Or when they go out for a coffee do they ever think about how the coffee got there? Or when they crack open a Stella Artois or some "hipster" European beer do they give thought to how it got here?

The answer is no.

Greenpeace are like the people that blame drug dealers for the problems in a bad neighborhood. Drug dealers are just a symptom of a problem. The root of the problem is the drug addicts. The people that need a fix. Our world is addicted to oil and we need our fix and the oil sands is our dealer.

So rather than climb up tall towers in some remote location in Northern Alberta, maybe Greenpeace should reflect on their own actions..and THEN go protest down at Safeway when they see people buying boxes of food or out of season fruit.

But they won't. Because doing that won't get them media coverage. And it would piss off potential donors to their cause. AND..(the big and)..they'd have to admit that they are part of the problem.

How's the mango and coffee taste now?

Another Eddie (and this one isn't good)

2009-10-15T07:52:00.006-06:00

Alberta, home to the one of the worlds most bland, boring politicians & clearly one of the most clueless. His name is Ed Stelmach...and to his friends (the few) they call him Steady Eddie.

Ed Stelmach is the Alberta version of Paul Martin (Federal Liberals). He flip flops on things. Sometimes they are small like when he added 10 cents a can tax to a beer, then revoked that tax. Other times his flip flops are larger, like when he institutes a royalty regime for the energy industry then..when the industry decides it's cheaper to drill in Sask or BC, he changes it. And then changes it again. I guess Ed skipped that part of business school where they teach you that one of the best ways to attract investment is with something called "stability". I never believed Eddie's royalty plan was about anything than trying to capture votes at a time when crude was burning up near $150 a bucket.

Ed also likes to spend. In fact, Eddie and his boys in E-Town have increased government expenditures at near double digits. The Alberta government also spends more per capita than Quebec (that statement goes over as well as putting a Trudeau statue in Olympic Plaza).

But then again, Ed never really won the Leadership of the Conservatives.. You see he came in 3rd. A Calgary oil boy with the name Dinning came in 1st with a redneck country boy named Morton in second. As leadership conventions go..Ed ended up winning. In short, Alberta's managed by a 3rd rate loser.

One more thing this clown did that pissed me off..was limiting prices at pubs during happy hour. Who are you to ban what a bar charges it's customers? For a second I thought I was living in a nanny state like Ontario which controls it's liquor for the "good of society".

The thing with Ed is that he was pretty cocky. No way the Liberals or NDP would have a chance. But along came this party called the Wildrose Alliance. They didn't exist 2 years ago. A few weeks back they thumped Ed in a byelection in a 40 year Con riding (Eddie came in 3rd). Now polls show that the Wildrose Alliance is at 22% support. Seem low? Well consider they didn't exist 2 years ago and were a no show in the last election

And the WRA are about to chose a new leader. One of the potential leaders is Danielle Smith. She's intelligent, well spoken, fiscally Conservative and I don't think she cares if gay people hold hands. And she's a MILF too. Better be careful Ed..because that Conservative Dynasty is on pretty shaky grounds dawg.

Big Rock & the Eddies

2009-10-10T13:20:00.003-06:00

I bought a 12 pack of Big Rock Traditional on Friday and attached to the side was a calender of the Big Rock "Eddies". The Eddies are advertisements created for Big Rock by the people that drink the beer.

The above made me laugh because whoever created this is pretty savvy when it comes to micro brewed beer. Budweiser (aka InBev) recently sued Brick Brewing company in Waterloo, Ontario because they created a product called "Red Baron Lime". The law suit has something to do with the use of the term "lime" or something which..in my opinion..is retarded. It's just a case of a big ass corporation picking on a small, regional brewery that probably makes almost zero impact on their market.

The interesting part is that if you're from Calgary, you've heard of Big Rock Lime. Easily on of the most popular beers of the summer it was the drink of choice for many last summer and many pubs at BRL (Big Rock Lime) nights. I don't have figures available, but I'd bet my life savings that Big Rock Lime easily outsells the Brick Brewery version of the beer.

The above ad is a perfect example of "western swagger" and for all the right reasons. I suspect the reason Budweiser/InBev never went after Big Rock is because if they sued Big Rock they'd never sell another drop of Bud in this city (and Labatt is owned by InBev). One of the pleasant parts about being back in Calgary is the staunch support that locals give to their "own". You'd be hard pressed to find a microbrewery in North America that has the market penetration of Big Rock. This stuff is more common in Calgary than cowboy hats.

Bud Light Lime sucks anyway. So does the gay ass TV commercial "in the can".

Cccchanges

2009-10-06T21:38:00.003-06:00

So, after being gone 10 months, I've returned home to what is now "post boom" Calgary. First thing you notice is that there are 1000's of apartments. In fact, as I write this Rentfaster has a sum total of about 3800 available units. In 2007, there were 400 listed on Rentfaster. The prices have dropped a wee bit, but nothing spectacular. What really blows my mind is that Mission (3 blocks wide, 9 blocks) has 70 units available for rent.

Calgary is often maligned in the media..especially Eastern media that loves to point out the rapid rise in EU claimants or how the unemployment rate has "soared" in Calgary. It's a point of contention...because prior to the recession there WAS NO unemployment in Calgary. It's basic math, 2 is 100% more than 1...so it doesn't take much to post huge increases in EI claimants. Same for the unemployment rate. Two years ago it was 3 %, today it's in the high 6's..6.9% or something like that. Sounds bad until you realize that that figure was the unemployment rate in Toronto during GOOD times.

What I do notice being home is that there is a slight change in the "spend spend spend" mentality of people. I was surprised to sit in OJ's in Mission and have them offer me specials. The other thing that caught my eye was empty seats. A few months back, I went into OJ's and it had 10 people in it on Saturday. Of late, I find it to be fuller & places like Joyce on 4th are often near capacity. Compare this to just 18 months ago when I'd walk up and down 4th street trying to find a place that had an available seat. I notice that there is more focus on "deal" nights and prices are starting to get cut.

Up in Edmonton I was spoiled. I could pull into a Tim Hortons or another coffee shop and there would be 2 people in line. I lived on Whyte Ave in Edmonton.."the" urban area to live. I'd walk in the Tim Horton's and you'd be lucky to see 3 people in line in the morning. The Purple Perk, Starbucks, etc have the usual long lines. Same for many of the places that sell you lunch in the core.

So life here did pull back, but Calgary and Alberta in general seems to have escaped the brutal recession that hit Ontario and the USA. Energy prices still remain high (very high compared to even 5 years ago)..so overall I'd say things look positive.

Just means the end of the 25K bonuses and 3 flex days a month at the local oil company. Perhaps that's a good thing too. There is such a thing as too much money

Back in Calgary

2009-10-06T21:28:00.003-06:00

After 10 very long months I am back in Calgary. And hopefully I can return to writing again. I "broke" my leg which really means my foot was turned sideways. 7 long months on crutches.

Too true..it's brilliant

2009-04-21T19:38:00.000-06:00

Edmonton: Live music while you shop

2009-04-12T16:09:00.003-06:00

I live essentially at the corner of Whyte Ave & 112th. The area is know as Garneau and it's mostly populated with students, staff that work at U of A or medical folks that work at the University Hospital. All 3 lifestyles say "busy" and Sobey's has set up a mini grocery store.

Living with a grocery store in your building is best described as kick ass. On the way home from work and hungry? Forget the fast food, you can stop in at Sobey's deli and eat. It's cheaper and healthier. Don't feel like cooking ? Sobey's has a whole bunch of fresh food ready to be taken..and it's good.

The other thing about this mini store is that it's got it's own sit down deli/cafe that even serves alcohol. Not that people are lined up to pour back a pint of Grasshopper, but it's still cool to know you can stop in and have a beer & eat..without having to go to a pub.

I noticed today that the store has gone one step further. To promote it's local eating theme, it's now promoting local live music Friday and Saturday. When's the last time a commercial food chain had live music for it's customers? I'm not sure what type of music it is..but I'm guessing it'll be more singer songwriter focused. Still, I'm impressed..very few commercial places could pull off what this place is doing.

When I leave this area, I will miss having this little store so close by. It's not just the ability to get food without even stepping outside, it's the proximity to food that's healthy & reasonably affordable by Alberta standards. I don't know why more buildings don't have these mini groceries stores. It's not a matter of parking either..there isn't any parking at all for this place.

Mr Spock does not live in Edmonton

2009-04-12T14:04:00.005-06:00

My insurance rates: same car..that's getting older and I'm driving LESS and the cities are decreasing in size and traffic volume.

Toronto car insurance: $100.00 a month
Calgary car insurance: $162.00 a month
Edmonton car insurance: $224 a month

Reasons for high insurance? "Per capita, the risk of a collision is substantially higher in Edmonton". This MIGHT be...because the city doesn't plow streets out here so the potential collision risks are higher

Reason for not plowing roads? : The high cost of snow removal would increase property taxes. Ah.

So today's question has some math

You are a citizen of Edmonton and you have two options:

1. You pay an extra $100 dollars a year in property tax to clean roads
2. You pay $500+ in increased insurance costs, put your life at risk AND will deal with the annoyance of having an accident.

Seems pretty tough to me
/end sarcasm

Flat tires and cracked windshields

2009-04-12T13:54:00.002-06:00

I lived in Ontario for about 15 years or something like that. Anyways, it was a long time. During that time..I never once had a crack in my windshield nor do I remember getting slow leaks in my tires.

One can't help but notice how many tire stores there are in Edmonton & Calgary and I know why. Because the government here PURPOSELY puts rocks & nails on the roads to keep these dudes busy.

For the FOURTH time in a year, I've had to take a tire in to get it patched. I came out of the gym yesterday to find my tire completely flat. Luckily, an Esso was just around the corner so I crawled over there and inflated the tire

**SIDE NOTE**. Nothing pisses me off more than gas stations that charge you $1 for inflating your tires. This is a bigger scam than pubs that don't take interact but just happened to have their own bank machine on site. A buck to fill up my tire? If we still had full service gas station no doubt these dudes would charge you money to check your oil. If you own a gas station and you charge me for air, I won't pay..and I'm not buying gas there. You cheap bastards

Anyways...nothing sucks more than coming out of the gym to be greeted by a flat tire. I was going to change it there but I was still wearing my gym clothes and I was semi covered in sweat. Plus, I was thirsty and wanted to get home and have some water.

Alberta uses rocks on the road to give you traction in the winter. Given the number of accidents I saw in Edmonton in the winter AND my outrageous insurance because of such, I'm not sure this idea works. Where it is VERY efficient is destroying your car in the summer. The city has enough money to spread out the sand and rocks, but not enough money to pick them out. Invariably, these stones meet your windshield and they completely destroy it. Some guys out here have glass that looks like a spider web. The sand..acts as a sand blaster and in a year or so your window has a million little pits in it. Try driving in the sun..looking through this. You can..and this may also explain why insurance rates are so high here.

I think I'll rant about insurance a bit later.

Playoffs

2009-04-12T13:51:00.002-06:00

I openly admit to being a semi disinterested hockey fan. Many years ago, I was a Toronto fan, but Toronto started to suck, so I lost interest. It's interesting to note that they still suck. In a league where money buys skill and speed, the Leafs are the kings of cash, but they're last place Larry in the standings.

A buddy of mine, a guy that still resides down in The Mission in Calgary sent me this little Youtube link. If you don't follow hockey, well the Flames came in 5th & will play Chicago. I have no idea whether they will win or lose, but they made it. It's a team that's on the up and up..

Haters

2009-04-10T16:16:00.004-06:00

I am originally from Ontario and have lived in Alberta a total of 3 times, each time I come back I stay longer.

One thing that really burns my ass is the people who seem to have a hate on for Alberta just because it's Alberta. The last time they were here was 1982 and they automatically assume life is still the same. You know, we're all about eating steak, voting Conservative & drilling for oil.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that 25 years ago Alberta WAS a rather "redneck" place...hence names like Cowtown or Deadmonton. What these people don't seem to realize is that much has changed in the past 25 years. If you walk through the streets of Calgary you're more likely to see a sushi or Thai food place than you are a steak house. Or the assumption that because there is a perpetual "Conservative empire" out here that we're all backwater hicks. One thing you learn about living out here is that what is happening culturally has little to do with who is in power at the Legislature in Edmonton. In fact, I'd say the artistic community is far more cohesive in cities like Calgary...and especially in Edmonton because the government's only focus is what's happening in the oil patch.

The other stereotype is that "oil patch workers" are all roughneck hicks. There is a grain of truth to that if you're to go to a camp in Fort McMurray, but having did work for dozens of oil companies in Calgary you're more likely to find the CEO or CFO heading off to a wine tasting then him going gopher hunting. Same for Edmonton.

If you're one of those people that posts in forums labelling Alberta as nothing but a bunch of hicks...get over yourself. Or better yet, come and live out here & take some time to open your mind and understand that the "redneck" majority is a minority. The rest of us just doing our thing, we don't like country music & we don't go gopher hunting on weekends.

The longer I live out here, the more I realize the narrow minds of this nation are more likely to be found in Toronto or Montreal than they are in Calgary or Edmonton. People come here for opportunity...to make more money, to advance their careers..or some just for a change in life. Something fresh, something new. The one great attribute about Alberta is that it's a place where there ISN'T a whole bunch of government interference when you want to do something. Feel like renting a condo and working out of it? Go right ahead. Try doing that and publicly talking about it in Toronto..the city will be on your doorstep in 30 days to talk to you about "zoning laws"

I could do with some more urbanization out here..but all in all, I like the mentality of Alberta. And if you believe we're all greedy oil barons..then example the Green Party's monster showing in Calgary in the past election. In some ridings they came in second. Number 1 with wind power too.

Just something to think about.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-04-05T00:26:00.001-06:00

I had been meaning to see this movie for like a year. Unfortunately, about 90 different things stopped me from seeing it.

It's just kick ass..

Edmonton: The Quarters

2009-04-04T17:56:00.004-06:00

Edmonton's downtown is a far seedier and rougher place than Calgary. From about 109th Street east..most of the core is low rent & empty. There are pockets where the city has tired to fix things up but they've been somewhat unsuccessful although residents say that it's improved in the past few years.

The east side of downtown Edmonton is known as the Quarters..an area that reminds me of watching "Cops" when I was a kid. It's endless vacant lots or dilapidated houses and most of the population you'll see there are homeless folks or drug addicts. It's common place to see street walking hookers & there are more than a few sex parlours in the neighborhood. When I parked to take this photo with my Blackberry, I was approached immediately by a woman asking if I was looking for a good time..in broad daylight..with a cop car in plain view up the street. If you're a student of urban design you'll find this area of Edmonton fascinating. Low rent shops, stores & the portion of society that we left behind to suffer with their own ills.

I'd say half of the core is rundown and it may be why so many people see Edmonton as such a rough place. There looks to be a huge drug problem in downtown & the few times I've been there I've been approached by addicts & people that rise my guard (something that doesn't happen much).

Once you pass 109th Street, there is a notable change in the mood of the city core. I'll write about that next...but first it's the gym.

Edmonton: Lucky 97

2009-04-04T17:37:00.003-06:00

Food prices are expensive in Alberta..and one way around that is Lucky 97 supermarket. It's an Asian supermarket in Chinatown (97th street and about 106th Ave).

When you arrive at Lucky 97, you'll immediately discover that there are not enough parking spaces for all the customers. The parking lot is a sea of people that just stop or park sideways or come up with more creative ways to stick their car in a corner and hope it doesn't get towed. Even around the back you'll find most of the spots are taken. I tend to park on the side streets but they are very narrow and in winter have huge snow ruts in them. I'd advise you to lock your doors and keep valuable out of site. The area is populated by some pretty ghetto looking characters..absolutely none of them Chinese.

Inside Lucky 97, you'll experience what you find in most Asian markets. It's small and it's very crowded. Just walking down the aisle is somewhat frustrating with all the people scattered around you. The store has a great selection of fresh fruit and veggies and it's one of the only places in Edmonton where you can find good veggies in winter. It's also one of the only places I've found stuff like Bok Choy & other Asian foods without paying double the price at Sobey's.

Lucky 97 has a huge seafood department, a big meat department (very busy) and has a take out style deli/restaurant. I'm a big fan of genuine Chinese food and this place is a deal. $4.50 for 3 choices in a combo..that's a price that's unheard of in Alberta. You'll pay double that pretty much everywhere else.

The store has a good choice of pretty much everything, but if you're expecting the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere of Safeway or Sobey's you aren't about to find it. There is no 80's music playing on the speakers and the aisles are packed with merchandise stacked up as high as it can go. For "fresh food" the prices can't be beat but be prepared to to endure a long line and huge crowds on weekends.

The store caters to Asians but you'll find the odd white person shopping there, perhaps looking to save money. The day I walked toward the store, some bum came running at me saying "You're the first white guy I've seen all day, can you spare some change". Did he think that by saying that I'd hand over some money ?

This area of Edmonton can only be described as a run down shit hole, but it has some incredibly interesting shops & it's unique in the city. It's unfortunate for the vendors & for the area that it's in such a lousy neighborhood. It's also an amusing paradox. We often here people bitching that "immigrants" are lazy, good for nothing scum that just live off government handouts. Chinatown is exactly the opposite....the business owners are all Chinese and the addicts & bums in the neighborhood are all white.

If you do visit this place, try weekends mid day. It will be busy and somewhat frustrating but it's worth it. The area is very seedy and outright dangerous at night..and it's very empty

Edmonton: Chinatown

2009-04-04T17:24:00.004-06:00

Like all cities, Edmonton has it's own Chinatown. Chinatown in Edmonton is on the NE side of the city core near an area called "The Quarters" on 97th Street & around 104th Ave.

The first thing you experience when you drive into this area is how gritty and rough looking the area is. The area is populated with hundreds of the poor, homeless & drug addicts...and very few Chinese people. The Chinese seem to come here to shop & eat, but they wisely don't seem to own any property in the area (outside of some seniors I'm sure).

My favourite stop in Chinatown is the Garden City Bakery & Restaurant. It's a small hole in the wall that has a great bakery where everything is $1.00 or less. They make these excellent curry, pork and beef filled buns that are the size of a Pizza pop but they taste much better. The prices are excellent although you might be taken aback with putting the food on a food court style plastic tray rather than in a box. The shop is small, cramped and often very busy, usually with Chinese folks but you'll occasionally see a white guy or two.

The area around this bakery is sadly a perfect example of urban decay in Edmonton. The Chinese people don't seem to be bothered by the bums & addicts in the neighborhood but I'm quite sure that some people would be.

2009-03-29T23:55:00.002-06:00

I took this in January sometime..typical snow filled day in this city. I was sitting in Second Cup at 105th and Whyte. This is sort of the de facto centre of Whyte Ave & close to places like Blues on Whyte & The Elephant & The Castle.

I'm not really a fan of Second Cup..I think it's contrived "cool" and rather un-original but unfortunately Whyte doesn't have many choices when it comes to "indie coffee houses". There is a place called Cafe Dabar which is about 5 blocks west of here..but it's more an Internet surfing place than a coffee house.

Home..Sweet Home

2009-03-29T23:31:00.002-06:00

The sign above is the one at the corner of 112th Street and Whyte Ave, across from the U of A campus & just around the corner from where I live.

Whyte Ave is 82nd Street and part of it runs through an area known as Old Strathcona. The "cool" part of Whyte Ave seems to start around 99th Street and heads west to about 112th where Whyte ends..at the U of A campus. The area is called Old Strathcona & also consists of another area called Garneau which is more or less the U of A campus & some businesses along 109th street

Old Strathcona is..without question...the best area in this city. It's a charming place, a mix of modern businesses like Chapters that sit next to mom & pop stores. It's home to a dozen pubs, live music venues, interesting food places & just about everything else you can think of. One could spend weeks just walking around, going into each pub, etc just to see what's going on.

The area next to Old Strathcona is Garneau. It's the University & a few blocks of streets with 90 foot trees and old homes. The roads are narrow & the area is incredibly pleasant..it reminds me of the better neighborhoods back in Toronto or Ottawa. It's also where I live and has probably been my saviour while I've lived here. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Old Strathcona is as good OR BETTER than Calgary neighborhoods like Mission or Kensington. It's a true gem & one of the best neighborhoods in Western Canada.

What makes Whyte/Strathcona so different from Mission or Kensington in Calgary is that it's not all upscale. This is a place where little indie food places still manage to survive..whereas in Calgary they're long since vapourized when the boom hit and rent soared. Whyte Ave reminds me of Marda Loop..years ago, before the upscaleness hit the area and all the interesting shops were replaced by stores designed to cater to people with 6 figure incomes.

Strangely..a whole bunch of people in Edmonton either like or hate Whyte Ave. They seem to see the bad side of it, the late night drunks, the noise when the Oilers play, the 20 somethings that line up at Lucky 13 to go and get toasted. That's only a small fraction of what goes on in this neighborhood but it's the part of the 'hood that catches the attention of people.

I've spent 5 months living here and I give this place 5 stars out of 5. And I've yet to really explore it .... because for the most part, the temps make it too cold to go walking. When I leave Edmonton..there isn't alot I will miss, but I will miss this area. If you come up this way..park the car and walk. It's worth it. I'll get into detail on some of the pubs, etc that you'll find on Whyte in the next while

Vue Weekly

2009-03-29T16:47:00.002-06:00

If you live in Calgary, you've probably read FFWD Weekly..a remarkably good Arts & Entertainment weekly available in Cowtown. The same company that does FFWD does a magazine up here called SEE...and by all accounts it sucks.

What doesn't suck is VUE Weekly, this indie weekly that I actually look forward to reading. It reminds me of a poorer version of NOW magazine from Toronto..but it's actually more interesting. It's a true "indie" magazine and it's as much fun to read it for the advertisements as it is for the articles. It's got some great writing in it & some interesting opinions...not all of them the usual left wing point of view either. Nothing wrong with "left wing"...just I find that those notions are sort of outdated.

VUE is a great magazine to really find out what's going on in Edmonton. It's an easy read, it's small & compact and available almost everywhere in the city. It has a real Edmonton vibe to it & that's something you come to appreciate. If I can say one good thing about this place, it's got a true genuine real "indie" sort of vibe. Edmonton is like Buffalo North..it's not really on the map & because of this it's music and arts scene incubates without outside influence. There are no expectations...but I'll take this further when I write again..I've got to go work overtime today. Ugh.

Roads

2009-03-29T16:37:00.002-06:00

The picture above is 106th Ave, just outside of Chinatown in Downtown Edmonton. The brown mess you see is sand, salt & snow mixed together. Perhaps I'm a little "off" but it seems rather stupid to me to dump sand all over snow and then let it sit there. Maybe a wiser idea might be to plow the snow away..but that doesn't happen here. What I find most annoying is that cities like Montreal...which have HUGE amounts of snow manage to keep their roads clean and they're not part of the Alberta Advantage.

Have you ever heard of the Iditarod ? It is a dog sled race that takes place in Northern Canada. Each day I drive in Edmonton on streets like this, I can't help but get the feeling I should have a dog sled to get around. You know when Americans ask if we all live in igloo's ? Well maybe they got that opinion of Canada because they saw a slideshow of Edmonton's streets and assumed we all use dog sleds.

Oh, and just like the rest of Alberta, the city also uses rocks on the road..as you can see by the cracks in my cars windshield.

Winter in Edmonton

2009-03-29T16:23:00.002-06:00

Winter in Edmonton is best described as awful. I am a cold weather type and it's now late March and I'm so sick of snow it makes me stressed. Winter starts here in November..and the temps rapidly fell to -35C and stayed there..not for days but for MONTHS. I was fortunate that I was living in a place where I have heated underground parking..otherwise I would have not been able to start my car. Nothing sucks more than going out to a cold car and waiting 20 minutes for it to warm up. It gets so cold here..that the car freezes and when it hits a bump in the road it feels like your neck is going to break

Edmonton also SUCKS at cleaning their streets. There are no snowplows in this city at all. The streets get covered with snow and the tires of cars form ruts which freeze in the snow. Once your tires are trapped in these ruts, it's often hard to get out of them..and the bottom of your car scraps the snow. I ripped off a piece of plastic on my bumper because of it.

The odd day when it warms up a bit, the snow in Edmonton streets combines with the sand they toss on the road to create what is..a form of frozen mud. It sticks to everything and gives the appearance of living in a 3rd world nation. I sent pictures to my friends in the east & they were shocked...specially given that Edmonton sits on top of billions of barrels of crude oil and should by all accounts...be rolling in the money. I guess it's going somewhere else

The city also fails to clean the sidewalks as do many people in front of their house. I watched a woman in a wheelchair get stuck in the middle of the street in mid winter and I had to wonder into the street to help her out. She was a senior and clearly stressed by the situation..and I was appalled that no one else got out to help, they just sat in their cars.

The number of injuries from these conditions is also startling. No less than 4 people at work had broken bodies/skulls thanks to the ice. One woman fell and hit her head and was passed out in the snow for over 20 minutes. Another work mate dislocated his shoulder after falling. I too..felt the brunt of winter and tore the tendons in my foot. I spent over 5 weeks limping in crutches thanks to the "sidewalks". If you've never broken a foot, I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to live when you can only limp around. Getting food, washing clothes, etc, are all very trying..and it's exhausting to hobble up the street to Safeway to buy something to eat. It's a 20 minute marathon that should take 5 minutes.

The Edmonton winter gets a 0 out of 5 stars from me. I am VERY glad I won't be here next winter.

On The Way Home

2009-03-29T16:11:00.003-06:00

Since mid November, I've been living in Edmonton doing some work up here. Calgarians seem to dislike Edmonton and there are glaring differences between the 2 cities.

The biggest problem with talking about Edmonton from a Calgary perspective is that Edmonton folks get VERY upset at the comparisons between the two cities. Any type of debate or argument quickly turns heated & it becomes a "Calgary versus Edmonton" thing. I'll be the first to admit that Calgary can be a bit snobbish at times and does give Edmonton a raw deal but some of it is deserved.

So, until I return to Calgary, the following is all about Edmonton..

Calgary in the Future

2008-11-06T19:53:00.001-07:00

Skyline in 2012.

Calgary in Photos Today

2008-11-06T19:51:00.003-07:00

Calgary in 2007

Calgary in Photos

2008-11-06T19:48:00.001-07:00

Calgary in 1969

The end is near

2008-11-06T19:01:00.003-07:00

In March of 2007, I started this blog..to talk about my experiences moving from Waterloo, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta. It took time to get to know this city..and indeed, it's got it's issues. I love this place, I had a great time out here, even if at times, the costs blow you mind

I found this on Youtube..it dates back to the early 80s in the last oil boom. The skyline 25 years ago was somewhat lacking compared to today..and the city looks so small. It's grown..and for the better.

Hello Calgary...you know that we love you.

Ducky's Pub Part 2

2008-10-28T22:37:00.003-06:00

We arrived at Ducky's Pub, 4th and 21st in the Mission. Ducky's is in a small plaza next to the Great Canadian Diner.

When you walk up to Ducky's you're greeted by a pub with iron bars over the windows..and security along with 20 or so smokers out front. To the average passerby it probably looks like a dump.

Ducky's is a unique place. I've eaten there and I think they have 4 things on the menu. It's not a place you take the family for dinner. Ducky's has a clientele that's ..... well everyone that's not at the martini bar up the street. 50 year old guys talking about work...to pink haired glam rocker chicks..to girls having a night out...etc. In short, anyone goes there. The tables resemble the ones in cheap cafes you'd find in a truck stop. The decor..is a few very large TV's, tables, and a pool table with some VLT's.

But Ducky's..is a breath of fresh air in Calgary. It's a place where people go..to have fun. It's not pretentious...it's a place where you can be you. I was in the bathroom going pee & a female walked in to talk to the guy she was with. She..was trashed but saw me pissing and said "is it OK?". I replied, sure. I didn't attempt to walk in the female washroom..;-)

Ducky's is home to karaoke 7 days a week. It is...THE most bizarre place. The choice of music ranges right across the map..and it gets more amusing when the dance floor actually fills up with dancers, dancing to poorly sung Akon songs. The clientele of the bar (should I use that word) have a wide variety of musical tastes...I watched one table rock out to BackStreet Boys..then to Ozzy..then to Black Eyed Peas. The singing..is...terrible, but that doesn't seem to matter.

I don't know about the future of Ducky's pub. I had heard the plaza was going to be razed to put in more swank condo's, but I suspect with the market cooling off, this won't happen. All I can say is GOOD..because a neighborhood needs more than rich art stores and martini bars.

If you like karaoke, if you like dancing to karaoke, or perhaps you're just sick of the rest of the club scene in Calgary...try Ducky's. And if you smoke, you'll probably leave with some new friends. It's a pretty social place, no one seems to take offense to anyone & I've never seen any type of problems at the pub.

Five Stars for Ducky's, in a sick, twisted..but GOOD way. Beer runs about 7 bucks.

Ducky's Pub

2008-10-28T22:31:00.003-06:00

Calgary is a place where many of the "dive" pubs have closed down or had their leases nuked..and been replaced by upscale night clubs. My neighborhood is full of them.

Saturday, I headed with a bud looking for some place to go. Our first stop in Mission was OJ's, which was packed full. Not a seat in the house as the hockey game was on. We headed up the street, second stop was Wyldwood. Someone had rented out the entire place for...a party. So..we headed toward downtown again and hit Joyce. It too, packed full. Unlike back East, pubs here FILL up early.

We jumped on the bus and headed downtown to Stephen Ave, then over to Palomino. I've written about this place before, but it's always cool. It's a dive bar, has great meat & that night had some crasy dancer in the downstairs area. Palo..is cool, it's busy, but not too busy and has a great cowboy breakfast. It's got interesting entertainment going on..from live rock music to..pretty much anything. The bathrooms also encourage you to write messages on the wall. Only problem is, it's on 7th Ave, the ;hood in Calgary.

Afterward, headed out to Stephen Ave..home of the "martini" club & a sort of place you go to dress up, look good and look at each other. Bleh.

So we caught a cab...

Food

2008-10-27T21:55:00.002-06:00

One bone I have to pick with living in Calgary is the high cost of food. Every time I go to the grocery store, I feel like I've been mugged, especially by Safeway & CO OP. The prices on things can be outrageous at times, things like cereal & fresh fruit are at least twice the price that they are in other parts of Canada. This seems to be a Calgary thing...because in Edmonton, I find prices are far more reasonable. This could be because Edmonton has better choices for food stores & just more competition overall. As time passes and you live out here, you become conditioned to paying 7 bucks for a box of bran flakes or 3 dollars for a red pepper. Or the 3 dollar loaf of bread. Who needs those carbs anyways?

Eating out isn't much better. Typically now, lunch is going to run you 10 bucks, maybe 12 in some places. The pub up the street from my house has their Burger & Fries (sit down Irish Pub) for nearly 14 dollars. With a couple of beers at 7 bucks a pop, an evening out in Calgary pushes 60 bucks.

The better way to save your money is to sign up online to have the grocery stores send you whats on sale to your inbox. One thing about Calgary is that there is definitely a Safeway in your neighborhood, and most likely a CO OP, so going store to store isn't a big deal. Superstore (Loblaws) on the other hand is different..it's a evening long adventure in hell. I've grown to appreciate smaller grocery stores that make getting in and out quickly...part of the package.

I sometimes wonder how a family of 5 lives out here with both parents working. Their food bill must push 1000 bucks a month easily. And that doesn't include eating out.

The Great Canadian Diner in Mission

2008-10-20T11:21:00.003-06:00

Another gem in the Mission is the Great Canadian Diner..in the old plaza near Ducky's pub at 4th and 21st. May's is owned by what appears to be an Asian family and open 6 days a week...from 7 AM to 4 PM. It's a classic diner...in every sense..including the fact it doesn't take debit. That annoys the hell out of me..but such is life I guess.

Nearly the entire menu which is mostly typical Canadian breakfast fare & some Chinese food for lunch is under 10 bucks. That sounds like alot..but in Calgary, anything under 10 bucks is a deal. I had Steak Breakfast which was about 9 bucks with a couple of cups of coffee. The food is good & the service is fast. Besides, where can you get a steak for less than 10 bucks for breakfast ?

I've heard a rumour that the landlord of the building isn't renewing leasing...leaving me to fear that perhaps that building is doomed to be dozed and rebuild as more high end condo's. With the declining real estate market..perhaps plans will be put on hold. Across the street, they're working on a new commercial/residential building between 21st and 20th Ave..and it will no doubt be expensive.

The Purple Perk

2008-10-20T10:54:00.002-06:00

I've written about this place prior..but I have to again. I live in Mission, a neighborhood where 4th Street is the spin. It's an area that's sadly going through gentrification to a more "upscale" community. As if we don't have enough of that in Calgary.

The Perk..as it's called by locals..was formerly known as Beans to locals that have been here a while. It's an indie coffee house that sells all things java related, but also has some great food. My personal favourite is the Cuban Sandwich..and I'd love to make it at home but I still haven't taken the time to learn how to make pulled pork.

The Perk is just cool. In a city that's all about being "upscale" the Perk is a refreshing place where anyone can go. It's clientele is a mix of everyone..from the hipsters surfing on their Mac's..to seniors having a chat & to future punk revolutionaries planning their next protest against the oil sands. It also has unique music playing..satellite radio with whatever the guy working seems to want to listen too. The Perk has it's own patio, which is the sidewalk of 4th Street and is usually populated by people that stop in for a cafe..presumably on their way to work in the core. They've also got a daily saying out front on a sign, and the door reads something like "No Anarchists or Crybabies over the age of 18"

It's a kick ass place..and it's the kind of place you can go to just sit alone and not feel like an idiot

Bob the Fish

2008-10-20T10:50:00.003-06:00

Bob the Fish is a pub at the corner of 17th Ave and 4th Street SW. It's a semi frequent haunt of mine because it's close to my condo & because it has cheap wings on Wednesday.

I was in there on a Wednesday pouring back some Big Rock with a buddy and checked out their new menu. The prices..are unreal. French fries for 5.99. Onion Rings were 7.99, Poutine was 10.99 and Nachos..were 18.99.

Now even in a city with overinflated prices & high salaries, it gets a bit tough to justify paying 6 bucks for French Fries. Think about it...you and your buddy go out for Nacho's, a plate each and you're at 40 bucks...before you even drink. I would expect really high prices at places like Living Room or BLVD..but not at a sit down plain old fashioned pub.

The pub is...just a pub. Nothing special about it, tho it has a nice view of the street corner at 17th and 4th which is the heart of "go out and have fun land"..or maybe I should say the beginning of it. I can't fathom why they increased the costs so much..but needless to say, I won't be going there for food anytime soon except on cheap-o night.

2008-10-07T10:29:00.004-06:00

Calgary is a city known for it's large vehicles & is the home of the SUV. While some will say the SUV is the root of all evil, I must disagree. The root of all evil is the driver of the high end BMW/MERCEDES/LEXUS SUV.

I'm not sure what driving school that these people went to, but they apparently missed the class on "where you can park and where you can't park". Parking your 100K overpriced showpiece in the alley or in a lane of traffic while you're going to get a coffee just isn't cool. Nor is taking up 2 parking spots for fear of getting your car scratched. When I was growing up in the West side of Toronto, doing this ensured someone keyed your car. Some call it vandalism, I call it peer pressure.

And I don't really understand the point of these SUV's. I used to drive a Jeep. It had big tires and on weekends I'd drive 1000 kms into the north, then go down some logging road for 3 hours to go mountain biking. The idea of having a 4x4 that was tough enough to go off road made sense. It also made sense for the locals in small bush towns where it snowed 440cms a year.

But it seems to defy logic that you need your BMW 9 Series 4x4 in an urban city. It's not like your taking it off road because you might "scratch it". And you're claim about needing it in the "snow"? This is as un-Canadian and gay (with all respects to LGBT community) as having a hockey puck that glows on the TV screen. It's Canada for fuck sakes, learn to drive in the snow. We used to use back wheel drive Chevy Impala's and we still managed to get to Grandpa's house for Christmas. And before that we walked everywhere anyways.

The Election

2008-10-07T10:09:00.002-06:00

I'm a sort of an apolitical person..which in lay people terms means I think they're all a bunch of idiots. Canada's a fucked up place when you realize that the most "honest sounding" politician is Gilles Duceppe & the mandate of the guy is to create his own country.

When Harper called this election, I suspected he did so because he thought he might eek out a majority, albeit a small majority. His competition is pretty weak...Dion is too academic & Layton is just the usual shrill annoying Layton. The Green Party..for all they do..is more a movement than a political party.

This campaign has been a train wreck for Harper. People used to criticize the guy for "muzzling" his party members, but now we why. Because he HAD to...because apparently some of them don't have the sense to shut up. My own riding is Calgary Centre and our MP is Lee Richardson. He recently stated in FFWD Weekly that the bad people weren't the ones that grew up next door (implying foreigners/immigrants were bad).

It's interesting how attitudes like this always group "cultures" together. If a Chinese guy is caught in a gang, then the usual cry erupts that "we shouldn't allow these people here" and "why doesn't his community speak out against this bad person'. And this thought process exists...for every culture expect 1 culture. White people. I'm a white guy, and when another white guy does something bad, does he reflect who I am? No. And I'm not expected to "speak out" against "white people" when they do something wrong. The Chinese community is supposed to speak out against the few members of it's culture that are in Asian gangs...but I don't see white culture speaking out the few white people that are pedophiles.

The world is full of different cultures. This is a good thing...and it's even better when they open up a cheap restuarant in my 'hood and I can eat there ;-)

But let's be clear, Lee Richardson needs to realize immigrants aren't the problem. Assholes are. There are two kinds of people. Good people and assholes....and to quote Chris Rock "The Assholes have Got to GO"

Hobbema

2008-09-09T19:09:00.002-06:00

So I finally get around to talking about this....

So, heading out of Red Deer, one drives into the town of Hobbema. It's apparently the most violent area in Canada due to rival gangs that are at war. The town is tiny, consists of a few building that are bordered up and some businesses. Other than that, there isn't much to see.

It's around this area that the landscape of the prairie begin to change and it becomes more rolling with trees.

Mission - Cliff Bungalow

2008-08-27T13:48:00.003-06:00

Snapshot of housing sales in my area in the past 6 months.

House - 1580 sq feet with average price of 706,000 dollars

Townhouse - 1858 sq feet with average price of 683,000

Condo - 765 sq feet with average price of 309,000.

Red Deer

2008-08-05T13:08:00.002-06:00

This is one of the many trips I've made to this town. It's about 100,000 people, situated exactly between Calgary and Edmonton, so it makes for a good stop to go pee. There is an area known as "Gasoline Alley" which houses a bunch of restaurants, hotels and...of all things, a Harley Dealership. The better places to eat are on the south bound side of the highway. Usual fast food right through to sit down and eat food places.

Red Deer starts in the south with a massive block of chain stores, typical of most cities in Canada. It's a fairly large place & home to alot of people driving large trucks. I went through what I assume was downtown & it's not a terrible place. There is a college in Red Deer which seemed fairly large and the rumour is it's a city full of available women (the guys are all off working on the rigs).

At Red Deer, you start to notice the landscape of Alberta begins to change. The prairie ends & you get into rolling country side with way more trees. It's actually nice to see trees again, I like the open prairie, but it's a rather dull drive. Around Red Deer is where you stop being able to see the mountains. Red Deer seems to be the butt of jokes but I didn't notice anything unusual nor hear any wild banjo playing. Perhaps I've become accustomed to the western lifestyle (like how I don't think it's unusual to wear a cowboy hat to a mall....tho I would have thought that was insanity in Ontario).

Leaving Red Deer for Lacombe, Ponoka and a place called Hobbema

Carstairs - Olds - Bowden - Innisfail

2008-08-05T12:58:00.002-06:00

The first small town I stopped in was Carstairs. To start with, it has it's own pirate radio station at 88.5 FM playing the best in modern & hick country music. I've no idea where the signal comes from, but it covers about 3 kms and was powerful enough to walk over my sat radio (and I have the old kind the FCC don't like). The downtown looks much like a 'western" town. A very wide main street with buildings that are very far apart. A few of the buildings are boarded up, the rest are populated by small independent businesses. I stopped to eat there in a bar at the edge of town. It's much like what you'd see in a country music video, the boys out for a beer after work & the waitress talking about her pregnancy with the customers. It was clear everyone knew everyone & they probably wondered WTF I was doing there. While in there, I heard a song called "International Harvestor"...a country song about a 3rd generation farmer that likes driving his combine on the highway very slowly to piss off the city people. I have to admit, I found the song amusing and it's at least genuine. The rest of the town is a couple of hundred new houses, presumably populated by people who live there & drive to Calgary to work (it's about 65 kms).

Olds

Olds is a small city much like Carstairs. The one thing that differentiates it is that it has a college (Olds College). The grounds look pretty nice & the building seemed nice, but I found it odd there wasn't any "scene" around the school. Perhaps I've grown up in cities for too long, but I'm not sure I'd want to attend post secondary education in such a rural place.

Innisfail

Not much to report here. I took 2A through this town which was a mind numbing mistake as it becomes a gravel sideroad for a while due to construction. It's like most Alberta towns, it has a few businesses and a CO OP. A CO OP is a grocery chain in the West that is locally owned and broken down into regions. You buy into the store & then at the end of the fiscal year, they calculate how much you spent and send a cheque back to you. I'm presuming it was Alberta's method of supporting it's "own". The one in Calgary I shop at is called the Midtown Market & it's really nice. I also buy all my gas there too, so I get 10 cents back at the end of the year (per litre).

Edmonton Bound

2008-08-05T12:54:00.002-06:00

This weekend I went to Alberta's capital city. The locals call it "E Town" or "Edmonchuk". People in the east seem to believe it's the western cousin of Buffalo, NY. So now I shall bore you with my trip there & what I thought of the city

I decided to take Highway 2A rather than take Highway 2, just for the sake of doing something different. Plus, if I drive slower, I save gas ;-).

Just past Airdrie, which is essentially a suburb of Calgary now, you exit Hwy 2 and get onto Hwy 2A. Airdrie, if you're interested is just a large suburb of a city & I didn't find a specific downtown. Airdrie is about 25 kms from downtown Calgary and based on traffic, I would say it's the last "commuting point" for people. Pretty much everyone exits the highway in Airdrie.

Stop 1...

Misguided Masses

2008-08-05T12:41:00.003-06:00

I am often amused when I read about the "witch hunt" going on to blame whoever for the rising price of oil. It's the government, it's speculators, it's Jesus himself, blah blah blah.

A few weeks ago oil topped out at 147 bucks a barrel. At that time there was serious "demand destruction" in the USA. Demand destruction is a term used when people stop buying something because of the high cost. The US is consuming 1 million barrels a day LESS of liquid fuel than it was just a few months ago. So..the price of oil has fallen to 118 bucks as I write this.

If you're blaming speculation for pushing up prices, you're misguided. Oil contacts can be traded "long" (where you wait for the price to go up) or SHORT where you buy high and sell low & you make a profit (yes, you can do that). If the run up in prices was because of the speculators, then obviously the decrease must be for the same reason. It's simply illogical to assume that falling demand has brought down prices /end sarcasm

The free market is an ugly thing sometimes. People love the free market...when it's on their side, but hate it when it's not on their side. You have to take the good AND the bad. The run up in oil has been constant over the past 6 years. In 1999 oil was 10 bucks a barrel & it's been increasing regularly excluding the odd pull back.

Why? Geologists (the people that understand fossil fuel extraction) call it Peak Oil. It's where you reach the plateau of production and afterwards it's a long ride down. And it's effing ugly. Google Peak Oil...then stop blaming the speculators. And stop buying so much gas for your giant SUV ;_

2008-07-24T12:36:00.002-06:00

Unless you live under a rock, you're probably aware we're going thru an energy crisis. There are alot of people who blame speculators for the rise in oil prices...but oil contracts are bought both long & short...meaning speculators would have to be responsible for price increases on the up and downside. The real issue in the oil industry is the lack of easily attainable supply and the growing demand. The spread between what we can extract & what we're burning is tight. Of late.."demand destruction" is hitting the market as people just stop driving because they can't afford it. It's always interesting to hear an America feel that gas prices are a "crisis" at 4 bucks a gallon when a gallon of gas in most of Europe is 10 dollars.

I decided that living in the oil capital of the free world..I would go entirely green in my new condo. I started by buying wind power which is available either through Greenmax or Bullfrog Energy. They monitor your electrical bill and if you use 500 kw of electricity, they produce 500 kw using wind power & inject it in to the system on your behalf. You pay a minor fee on top of your power bill to cover the extra cost of wind. The cost for me was a whole 2 dollars in a month.

Aside from going 100% "wind", I bought LED lights for my house, ditched my microwave & decided I'd make a conscious effort to cook all my food from scratch. There are times it's annoying and it requires you plan meals, but the savings are surprising. The food also tastes much better than what you buy at the store.

I also ditched using paper towels and went old skool using clothes to wipe up things. Yes, I have to wash them, but my laundry load isn't any more than it was before I did this. Any types of paper I use are entirely recycled. I also try to buy local food & not drive my car unless I'm using it for work.

So far, it's working. It's taken a bit to get used too, but I actually find I'm less stressed & living simple makes your life incredibly relaxing. Now I just need to get a job where I don't drive and walk to work...a very viable option when one is living in downtown Calgary.

First 2 weeks I used 51 KW of electricity. My electrical bill for nearly 3 weeks was about 12 dollars.

Rain

2008-07-24T12:32:00.002-06:00

Picture of a rainbow after a thunderstorm taken from the Safeway parking lot at 4th Street SW & Elbow Drive.

Stampede Time

2008-07-08T21:45:00.002-06:00

It's Stampede Time.

Pizza comes to Mission

2008-07-01T20:00:00.002-06:00

Here in the Mission (4th Street, Calgary), we used to have a place called CPU. It stood for Canada Pizza Unlimited. It's in a great location, sold slices & was easily accessible. Problem was...the people that ran it were the most negative folks I've met in business. More than a few times I watched them deride a customer for their choices or for ordering too much. Imagine, ordering 4 pizzas and getting a ride for that, as if it's some problem to do all that work.

The place closed up a few weeks ago and tada, I am happy to report that it's returned with new owners & will soon have a new name. I stopped by today for a slice and the slice was actually really good. The people running it are pretty nice & were very welcoming.

So if you live in the Mission, we now have a pizza place again. I haven't ordered a full pizza, just a slice, but it was much better than before. Having slices available for 3 bucks is great...it's cheap food that's gotten easily for people who are busy or just too damn lazy to cook

The difference a year makes

2008-06-30T12:01:00.003-06:00

In the summer of 2007 the vacancy rate in Calgary was less than 1%. To find an apartment meant a mad dash to scoop up the place before anyone else. A 1 bedroom apartment typically around 1200 dollars a month & a two bedroom 1500 dollars or higher.

Today, 1 year later, the vacancy rate is 3.5% and finding an apartment is easy. A friend of mine went looking for an apartment and discovered a place in Mission...that was empty for two months. My old rental (I've also moved) took SIX weeks to fill. There were 1 bedroom units in the building that were empty for 3 months. I recently saw a bachelor apartment on 25th Ave that was for rent for 635 a month...and was available for nearly 3 weeks. 1 year ago, this would have been gone in 1 hour.

Number of "rentals" on rentfaster.ca in 2007 - 450 on average
Number of "rentals" on Rentfaster.ca in 2008 - 1700 on average

Condo prices are the same. When I moved to Calgary last year, prices averages about 350 grand in my neighborhood. Last week, I saw a retrofitted condo going for 189K. Given I live in a desired urban neighborhood, I suspect things are cheaper elsewhere. There are also a LOT of places for sale now, there are pages of listings.

I get the strong feeling people are leaving this city and going home. With Saskatchewan and BC having booming economies, people are returning to their roots where there are jobs & family. Saskatchewan was once a run down have not province & it's now an economic tiger thanks to farming, potash & oil. Prices for homes in Saskatoon have gone up nearly 100% in the past 2 years.

With oil at 142 dollars a barrel, Calgary is doing very well right now. Yet, I think people have left & it's made the job market even better & made renting easy. I'm seeing alot of Ontario license plates now. I assume the crap economy in the east is forcing people to move west ?

A year ago you could come to this city and find some kind of work within a few days. Now...the good part is you can come here and find an apartment within a day too. And have choice.

I do have to wonder where things will go tho. Oil is very high and in the past 6 months natural gas prices have doubled. This will increase drilling & that'll fire up the economy even more. High energy hurts everyone...but us...mostly.

The land of the SUV

2008-06-29T11:42:00.002-06:00

When you move to Alberta, you'll notice two things. One is that it's normal to pay 7 dollars for a box of cereal & second is that about half the population appears to own an SUV or a giant Ford Pickup truck. In fact, I've seen a Ford F450, a truck I had no idea existed. It's big. You'll also see a whole stack of Hummers on the road or taking up two spots in the parking lot.

You know, if one was a farmer or tradesman, I can see the need for a large pickup truck. It's obvious you need that towing/hauling power..but exactly why does a guy living in the city core who works in an office need this thing for? I have a few friends who own large trucks and the high prices of fuel are making a top up of gas cost about 150 bucks PER WEEK. Imagine paying over 600 dollars a month just to drive a truck simply because you want one. Given that these things get about 15 mph, it's costing these guys 6 bucks (gallon of gas) to drive to the mall & back. And I thought it was expensive to fill up my Echo at nearly 50 bucks for regular gas. I've been mulling getting a Smart Car because I have no need for back seats & they apparently get about 600 kms per 22 litres of Diesel.

Found this sticker on a paper box outside the Purple Perk in Mission (where I live). Sorta sums up my feelings of the whole Big truck small dick thing

The City of Rain

2008-06-29T11:34:00.003-06:00

It has finally stopped raining in Calgary. Rain is apparently unusual in Calgary but you wouldn't have known it this year. From about Mid May to the first week of June, it rained incessantly. I lived along the Elbow River until June 1st and had underground parking. The risk of rising rain water was so bad I started staying out of town figuring I'd come down to my car one morning to find it floating in a sea of sewage/river water. I came home one weekend to find everything sand bagged and the Elbow River about 13 feet deeper than it usually was. Even the ducks left town for the weekend. The Elbow River isn't large, but it does go thru some very wealthy areas of Calgary where multimillion dollar homes sit very close to the bank. I have...NO idea who built these houses here, or why but they had no sense in your head. I don't think you need a degree in Engineering to say "no..let's not put a house 5 feet from the banks of a river that fills up from melting mountain snow.

Mercato

2008-05-21T21:32:00.004-06:00

Italian food store and restaurant in Mission called Mercato, so I made the trip out to see it for lunch. Took a couple of clients of mine simply to have someone to go with.

Nice airy atmosphere in there, the tables are a touch close together & it's a little bright at lunch (I like eating in the dark). Service was good & the food is very good. The portions are "normal" sized, meaning if you're hoping for a 6 layer sandwich and 300 pounds of fries...keep stepping homeboy, you ain't going to find it here. I'd think this would be a good place to take a date if she liked Italian food. They even offer parking (if there is any) if not, try one of the side streets.

The only catch is, this place costs a fair bit. Lunch for 3 cost me 130 bucks with a tip. Thankfully, after work I was able to walk around the alleys and collect bottles to recharge my bank account.

Off to the bottle depot...

2008-02-15T23:51:00.003-07:00

Photo Radar

2008-01-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

So...I managed to get 2 photo radar tickets...in the same area, in the same day. For over 200 bucks. *sigh*.

2.26

2008-01-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

That's how much a venti coffee is at Starbucks. that seems normal to I realize I used to pay like...1.49.

Weird thing is, I don't like Starbucks coffee, but I drink it. And I'm the only one. The rest of the people order things with "chino" on the end

Lunch

2008-01-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

One great place to eat lunch is CO OP at the Mid Town Market on 12th or 11th, or whatever. U go there, fill up this plate with food and pay for it by weight. It's good. For 10 bucks (a deal) you can have about 7 different things...and a can of CO OP pop. If you go at lunch, it's super busy tho.

Beer

2008-01-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

After what seems like forever, I've weaned myself off the ale of Ontario and now like two local brews. One is Traditional from Big Rock...the other is all things Wild Rose. They're a small micro that's located in the old army area of Calgary. They sell this thing called The Party Pig, which is this fridge sized keg you get from them for 50 bucks. You'll drink it fast..and it's pretty easy to handle.

It sure beats taking empties back to the bottle depot here. That's THE most annoying thing you can do in life. The lines are terribly long and it's the most stinky place in the world. I usually give my bottles to the homeless people but I have so many now, I think I'm going to be greedy and keep them for myself.

Ducky's Pub

2008-01-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

This is a pub on 4th Street...around 22nd. My first experience there was the assault of their karaoke....which consisted of the same 5 people singing 100 different songs.

Regardless, I've gone back, and I like this place. I took a buddy there for drinks...and it's not that bad of a place. Some things about it.

1. They have lots of hockey on TV screens
2. The customers are either young and sexy or like 50 and just having a pint
3. The food...well you have about 5 choices. I had their wings the other night which where...chicken legs. But they were good
4. The service...is slow. But the people are nice.
5. There is one small pool table in there.

All in all, a good dive bar. If you like "high class" places...this is not where you wanna go. If you like places you can sit in peace and just do your thing, this joint is OK. It's rather refreshing in a city that is all about the imagery of clubs.....

My flat tire

2008-01-24T22:26:00.001-07:00

I have this slow leak in my tire. It's annoying. But it's more annoying that someone ripped off the cord to the air hose at the Petro Can on 4th. Now I have to go to the Shell on 17th. Or maybe I should get it fixed....I just never seen to find the time.

Purple Perk

2008-01-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have written about this place before, but I have to again. This is probably the BEST cafe in this entire city. The coffee is good, but the food is awesome. I'm addicted to this "Cuban" sandwich they make...I'm not sure what is in it, but whatever it is, it tastes delicious. I've discovered they have parking in the back (always available) and they use brown sugar for their coffee. I love brown sugar.

You can also bring your laptop and camp out at the Perk. Least I think you can cause everyone brings their laptops into the Perk. The staff is also pretty cool and they're nice people. There isn't that "new rich" thing going on there. I way prefer this place over Starbucks (across the road) or Second Cup which is up the street.

They also have this kick ass MASSIVE cake which is like 9 inches deep. No word of a lie. I dont really like chocolate cake, but sometimes I just wanna buy a piece to eat it....or find a woman to take with me and have her eat it.

Places to Go

2008-01-24T22:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight, after work, I stopped by Joyce on 4th. It's an Irish Pub and I think I wrote about it earlier. It has these weird ass harp chairs which are huge....

One thing about this place is that it's got cheap ass food during the week. On Mondays, you can snag wings for FOUR cents each. Now I've never gone, but at 4 cents a piece......even bad quality wings are OK. They sell Big Rock and Wild Rose pints for 5 bucks (now considered a deal to me) for Happy Hour. The place is kinda low key and you can go sit alone...or with 100 friends if you want. I was there tonight and some very loud dood was there....same guy I experienced weeks ago at OJ's in the Mission. Why....do you have to be a dickhead man ?

Joyce has good breakfast, it's 4 bucks for Eggs Benny and hash browns. And it's served till 1 PM for people that have trouble getting outta bed. It's worth it. I'm not sure how they make Eggs Benny, but it's pretty good.

Native Culture

2008-01-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

In Ontario, I had little to no exposure to native culture. Growing up in Toronto, you're exposed to the 150 different cultures and languages, but you never really get to know native culture because it barely exists.

I find it absolutely interesting. For starters, you meet people with last names like "Goodrunner" & almost 100% of these people break the standard stereotype of natives being drunk bums. It's one thing I notice about Calgary....people are so galvanized on this issue. I'm really not sure how you can label an entire culture because of a few people that don't have their life together. I'm a white guy, the dood that did the Oklahoma bombings was a white guy...but we're not really the same. Dig ?

So it's been almost 1 year

2008-01-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last hour re-reading what I wrote. It makes me laugh that I gave a shit about things like "how slow people drive". It makes me realize how fast my life in Ontario was...and how angry & bitter I was for a long time. Ironically, I work more out here than I do back home, but I'm more relaxed. Least I think

So 11 months have passed since I left Ontario. I guess the first question is, do I miss it? The answer...for the most part is no. Calgary is a positive place to live and pretty progressive. One thing that truly pisses me off is listening to people back home tell me how "redneck" it is out here. My answer is whatever and get over it.

Calgary isn't without it's problems...but generally it's a pretty positive city, maybe sometimes with a touch too much money. Regardless, if you want to carve out your dream here, you can. Over the past year I've learned to slow down when driving. I've learned to let people in. I've learned that when people say "hi" in the hall, you say hi back...because thats just normal behaviour. I've even learned to like the Calgary Flames & admit it's fun to pick on "Leaf Nation" doods back home. LOL, last place too.

Bar: Singapore Sam's

2008-01-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I was out late and went to Singapore Sam's with friends. It's on 11th Ave near 4th in a small strip plaza.

This is a great late night place....it's a sorta after party outlet where people go after they split from the bar. It's a Chinese restaurant..with a cheesy Canadian flare to it. When I was in there, they were playing bad disco and even worse dance music on the speakers, but it worked. It's also incredibly dark so you can barely see the person you are with. The food is decent, but it works for the after club thing. Only problem is, parking in the area sucks...so it's a bitch to find a place to stick the car if you are driving.

Back

2008-01-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year.

Life has been incredibly busy for me over the past few months and I haven't posted at all. I'm officially set up in Calgary and....I'd never go back home. Calgary kicks ass.

I get out alot more & such...so I'll write about all things Calgary...even some of the stinky politics and stuff here.

Forever

2007-12-02T02:46:00.001-07:00

Seems like forever since I last wrote...but I'll write more and describe where I go, places i eat, etc. 3rd time I've lived here and I'd never go back "home". Calgary is an awesome, friendly city and while I realize some of my friends back east don't like hearing that, oh well. Deal with it.

Next stop, Ouza in the Mission.........and it's so good.

The West is Best

2007-10-05T23:41:00.001-06:00

Unemployment rates came out today. Looking at the map in the Globe and Mail it's clear that the west is leading the country in jobs & economic growth.

I've been in Calgary now since March of 2007. Putting aside the lousy produce at the store, I've grown to love this city & this province. To be honest, I can't imagine moving back east even if my entire family lives there. The whole scene seems boring & lifeless, tired & old. Calgary's a place where people say hello in the elevator, where people let you in when you're turning in traffic....a place where people are civil and friendly. It's just how you are & it's how you become. The angry road rage I felt back home is long gone...hell now I'm the guy stopping to let someone walk across the road or someone cut in front of me in traffic.

And I've grown to appreciate the independent streak of this province...where people are willing to stand on their own without forever whining to the government for assistance.

But the thing I've most grown sick of is the never ending question I heard from everyone back east "when are you coming back". And the predictable litany of reasons why I should move back, many of them dated stereotypes of Alberta, Calgary & the rest of the west. As if it's somehow some lower form of life. As if Calgary should be some short term stopover for people in need of a job until they "collect their senses" and head back east.

Sorry, really...I'm just not interested in return to eastern Canada & it's miserable, pessimistic mentality.

I am a Calgarian. And pretty damn happy about it.

US border doods

2007-09-27T16:49:00.000-06:00

The US feds are pissed off at Canada because it's apparently easy to smuggle in bad stuff to the USA.

Perhaps I played with to many chemicals under the sink when I was a kid but isn't it the job of the US to stop people from entering their country from elsewhere?

Signs of Insanity in Calgary

2007-09-26T22:40:00.001-06:00

It's time to go home

2007-09-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

If you've worked in Toronto you know it's a badge of honour to work late. I spent time working for a huge financial institution in Toronto and I'd see people at their desks at 6 PM on a regular basis.

Here, its different. I often work till 5 15 or so, and I'm the last guy walking out of the building. I do computer consultant so I travel place to place and it's the same everywhere. By 4 30, the place is empty...everyone has gone home. And that's not just the worker ants either, but the senior people.

It's interesting how you become accustomed to working a certain way, as if you're "less" if you don't burn the candle at both ends. There is far more balance out here AND you aren't seen as a slacker if you go home on time. I think that's damn cool and I like it.

Pay Up

2007-09-20T15:00:00.000-06:00

The Stelmach Government has publicly talked about raising the royalties on oil & gas. We're all aware of the high price of oil, but natural gas is really cheap at the moment. For Alberta, that's a bad thing.

It's interesting to see a Conservative government talk about increasing the royalties on tar sands. The government out here has generally been seen as pro Oil and Gas but that appears to be changing. I wonder if that's not some election ploy by the local conservatives to grab onto the hearts of people. Oil and Gas is seen by most people as the "enemy". In fact it's not, it's a huge business out here (obviously) and employs 100s of thousands of people.

But I don't buy the argument that the business will up and walk away. It can't. Alberta has nearly as much oil in the sands as Saudi Arabia. The world needs that goo & it needs it now, so not like these guys can pull out and go elsewhere

And it makes sense of the province to do that. This place is an economic tiger right now, and if this economy diversified it would be a monster. It's got all the right things to make itself a very competitive city & it's a great place to live. Bring on the royalties, just spend them properly.

Onterrible

2007-09-20T14:55:00.001-06:00

I've heard this phrase a few times lately, it's what BC'ers call Ontario. There has always been a rivalry between Central Canada (known as the east) and Western Canada. For a long time it was about Oil and the Liberal government, but that seems to have ended outside of 50 year olds arguing about it in the Globe and Mail.

Calgary has it's faults and it's annoying at times, but the people here are much nicer than back in Ontario. I say this as a guy FROM Ontario. Calgarians are friendly, pleasant people most of the time. It is ALOT easier to meet people here than back home both at work & just out and about around the city. The level of paranoia seems far less & admittedly, so does the level of snobbery. I'm sure that'll raise the hackles of a few back home, but I'm writing what I see around me. If you're a single guy in Calgary I'd be willing to bet it's A LOT easier to meet someone of the opposite sex. People will talk to you on elevators & even smile at you on the street. In short, eye contact is OK. And for some people even welcomed.

Now..if they could just learn to PARK properly.

Snow

2007-09-20T14:52:00.001-06:00

So yesterday it snowed. Not alot, just flurries, but it was cool to see. It's weird to see snow on Sept 19th...usually in late Sept you're impatiently waiting for the end of the heat & hoping for cool weather. I say bring it on.

I've also noticed that the sun is setting much earlier and rising later. It's dark by 8, vs 11 in the summer and the sun is not up when I wake up. I know from past experience that by late winter, the sun sets around 4 30.....and comes up at 9. You're at work....and it's dark.

Daytime temps are 10C now, maybe 15C on a good day, and 2-5C at night. It's hard to believe it's still technically summer, but who is complaining. Cool, fresh, light air makes for a great walk to work.

1C

2007-09-13T09:19:00.000-06:00

Woke up this morning & it was 1C. It's technically still summer, but it's definitely fall in Calgary, Alberta. Cool mornings in Calgary are nice, blue sky, no humidity, clean air. Makes the walk to work really nice.

Frost

2007-09-12T20:35:00.001-06:00

Sept 12, 2007. A frost warning. And this is NORMAL

McLeod Trail

2007-09-12T08:33:00.000-06:00

If you move to Calgary, stay away from a road called McLeod Trail.

It's a major artery in Calgary that runs north south. It's 3 lanes wide and is a traffic nightmare even early in the morning on weekends. There are alot of lights on the street and it becomes a REAL headache around Chinook Centre, a large mall in the south. There are times when it's a solid wall of cars & given people's impatience with driving, find a way around it. In fact, find a way around the Chinook Centre area at all costs. It just SUCKS

On the flip side, McLeod trail is full of strip plazas and shops that are often interesting and cheap. It's a low rent district, so if you look carefully, you'll find some great places to eat & shop for a reasonably low price (rare out here). As you near downtown, it becomes more low rent & is home to everything from a donair shop to a Christian radio station. On the north side of the city, it's Centre Street & heavily ethnic. Also pretty cool.

There is a bottleneck around Chinook centre....so seriously stay away. If you're from Toronto, you'll be fine with the traffic but if you're from elsewhere, it's going to be pure hell. Elbow Drive isn't much of an option, but Blackfoot Trail is.

SAIT

2007-09-12T08:26:00.001-06:00

Started with a part time certification at SAIT last night. SAIT = Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

SAIT is located on the C train line, has it's own stop & overall is a very nice school. The place is large and very modern and expanding. The equipment is up to date & overall I really like the school. I was surprised at the size of class out here, over 25 people vs the 7 or 8 that took it back home.

Where SAIT sucks is parking. You have to pay for night school parking & the lots are very small & hard to find. There is a large lot on the south side of the campus near the Alberta Art school, but it's a fair hike to your class. 5 bucks for evening parking. If you're into photography, the BEST shot of the city core in Calgary is standing in that lot. The entire skyline is laid out and because you're on a hill, it's at eye level.

If you are driving to SAIT (use transit, seriously), be advised if you pay for the parking with cash, you need to pay in the building. SAIT is a monster campus and there are FOUR machines to pay. The closes one is in the student centre (home to the Gateway Bar. Walk around a bit and you'll find it. It's also home to the bank machine, the only one I could find.

If you're new to Calgary and interested in going out, SAIT is also a good place to find out where to go. It's a few minutes north of Kensington, a artsy, hip neighborhood just north of the Bow River in Calgary.

SAIT also offers courses that are 2 days a week, vs 1 day. You complete a 42 hour course in 7 weeks, so it's possible to finish a certificate in 6 months.

The one big downfall is that it's expensive. 6 weeks of school will cost you 500 to 700 bucks with books.

Weather Whiners

2007-08-07T09:59:00.000-06:00

Ontario has it's fair share of weather whiners. These are people & media outlets that never shut up about the heat, cold, humidity, rain, sun, etc. Have Mom Nature drop 2 cms of snow on the roads in Ontario & it's a crisis. Why it's "Breaking News" on certain Toronto radio stations

Out in Calgary, you'll be pleased to know that no such thing exists. It's the hottest summer in the history of Calgary, but I've not heard alot of people whining about it. Given that no one has AC in the house, they're holding out well.

It's a good feeling.

Banff

2007-08-06T12:40:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I made a trip to Banff. I've stopped in Banff, but not spent the day there for better than 5 years.

I'm not a fan of tourist traps, but I can't help but like this place. Yes, it's crowded & very busy and some of the shops are sort of tacky (in a high class way) but overall it's a pretty nice day out.

Banff has a regular population of 9000 people. You'd never know it, it feels like your in a busy city with a million people. There are also some great places to eat including more ethnic food than I remember in the past. I stopped at a place called Wild Bill's where I had...of all things, an Elk Burger & a pitcher of Traditional Big Rock Ale. What surprised me was that the prices were no higher than in Calgary...and in many cases, cheaper. Something seems rather odd that a remote mountain town can have lower prices than a giant city like Calgary. Wonder who is getting scammed ?

One problem in Banff is parking. Obviously, there are alot of day trippers there & it's hell to find parking. A better way to get to Banff is to take the Greyhound from Calgary....it drops you off a few minutes walk to downtown. No headaches, but of course, it's not as convenient as a car. If you do go to Banff in a car, be prepared to walk alot & park at the edge of town. Don't waste your time in the gridlock trying to find a space downtown.

Banff also has a transit system, so use it. You can get to any point in town on the bus & it's pretty decent looking. You can walk downtown but places like The Falls & Sulpher Mountain are a touch far on foot. Bring a mountain bike, that'll give you great choice to get around

Places you wanna see

Sulpher Mountain: Home of a pretty cool Gondola ride to the top. It's 25 bucks per person, but you go way up and can see the entire Bow River valley. Go later in the day, the line is less
Golf Course Road: Follow this road past the Golf Course. I went out that way and not a soul was on it. Walking around, I saw numerous Elk. There are places to park and you can wander down to the river. I saw a whopping 6 people out that way....on a long weekend. Just follow the road, it's a giant circle.
Downtown Banff: This place has a shopping centre, but you'd never know it. It's build in downtown and looks like a typical downtown. They really maximize the space in this city...so be prepared to look in every corner. They should model all cities on Banff. Talk about walkability.

Banff Springs Hotel: I don't much care for hotels, but this place is unreal. Incredible architecture & the inside is beautiful. It's more amazing that they built this place over 100 years ago before cars, trucks and power tools. You can take the bus there and I'd strongly advise you do this

Bow Falls : Not far from the hotel, and a nice walk in the woods along the river to downtown. It'll take you about 30 minutes and while actually in town, it doesn't feel like it.

The other thing I noticed about Banff was the number of jobs there. They number in the hundreds and the pay is as good as Calgary. Often times, if you work in the hotel business, they give you food & accommodation. Not a bad deal if you want to experience mountain life for a summer.

All in all, a pretty damn nice place to go. There are hundreds of km's of bike trails and walking paths. I could live here.

500,000 Dollars

2007-08-04T12:01:00.001-06:00

The "average" price of a house in Calgary has now surpassed the $500,000 dollar mark. This is a typical single family home that I'm talking about.

I have to wonder who buys these houses? I'm amazed at the number of mortgages out here that are 40 years in length. Guys buying with no money down and making payments of 2000 bucks a month.

I went to Ontario a few weeks ago. I was in Waterloo, my hometown. In 2001, the prices for a house there were pretty much the same. I was looking at a townhouse in Uptown Waterloo. It was 179K, which once seemed like alot of money. That same place out here in an urban core would run 450K. 6 years ago the prices were the same.

This is a good thing if you own a house here. But if you don't....well... I've had a couple of workmates give up on Calgary & leave. One to Saskatoon, the other to New Brunswick. Fed up with the high costs of housing & the rising costs of living here.

The lack of fans

2007-08-04T11:56:00.001-06:00

I have to whine again about the lack of airflow here in this city. I can live without AC, but would it be possible to put in some form of AIRFLOW? If you've lived in a house without AC in the east, you probably had ceiling fans. They at least kept the air moving.

This is a foreign concept in Calgary. The elevator in my building has no airflow. Step in it on a hot day and it's 35C inside. No airflow. The C train and bus system has no airflow. If you're sitting in a C Train downtown and it's stopped at a light, there is no airflow. Now imagine that C train being STUFFED so full you can't move. And you're in a suit. THIS is the genius of Calgary.

There is a place in The Mission called Nellies. It's a place to eat breakfast. Nice place, but it too has no airflow. When you go in there, it's stuffy and hot. Exactly how am I supposed enjoy my breakfast when it's boiling hot? I'll give them credit, they do have a fan here and there. But it's not enough.

There is one place you can experience AC in Calgary. Goodlife Fitness. Walking in there you get that feeling you got walking into a shopping mall in Toronto. You open the door and POOF, this wall of cold air hits you.

Hottest Summer in half a century

2007-08-04T11:49:00.000-06:00

It's apparently the hottest summer in over 50 years or some number like that. I guess the word hot is relative. Typically, it's about 27C here, the humidity around 35% and it's almost always sunny. I don't find the heat that unbearable, I just find the constant sunshine annoying, mostly because I walk home in business clothes (for 45 minutes) and it's not that pleasant.

If you're moving here from Ontario, summer's a breeze. For those of you that have never experienced summer in South Ontario, consider yourself fortunate. Yesterday it was 44C with the humidity in my old city. The air is thick, polluted & stifling. Getting in a car that's parked outside in Summer in Ontario is subjecting yourself to pure hell. When I lived in the east, I had no AC, so after some time you just learn to deal with the heat.

I find the most annoying thing about summer is the constant sun. Life here feels like the movie groundhog day. I wake up, it's sunny, I walk to work, it's sunny. I walk home, it's sunny. You'd think one would like the sun, but sometimes I wish it would just get cloudy for a bit.

The other night in the mountains it was 1C. Bring it on.

Ed Stelmach

2007-08-04T11:41:00.000-06:00

For the past 20 years, the premier of this province ignored this city & let the city crumble. When the booming growth hit, the city fell apart. Overcrowded transit, areas without schools for 10 years, etc, etc, etc.

So along comes Ed Stelmach, who "won" the leadership of the Conservatives in Alberta by default. The leadership convention originally pitted Dinning, an urban oil guy against Ted Morton, a backwater hick best suited to some honky tonk in Arkansas. The leadership contest pitted the rednecks against the city people. And up thru the centre came Ed Stelmach, the king of mediocre.

Stelmach's not a popular guy in Calgary. Most of the city is pissed off at him because he seems to care more about the boonies & ignores Calgary & it's needs. Calgary is the economic powerhouse of Western Canada & quite literally, the Centre of the Universe West..and because of that makes demands for money to pay for city services.

So what's Eddie Stelmach do to "inspire the troops"? Rather than fix the transit system, he spouts off about how the "rest" of Canada keep it's hands off "Alberta". That might resonate amongst a bunch of 60 year olds, but it's not going to make it's mark on a city where the average person is 30 years old. It's definitely clear that Stelmach has NO CLUE what's going on in Calgary.

Politicians are idiots.

Shaw vs Rogers

2007-07-29T10:16:00.000-06:00

Do you hate Rogers? If you're from Ontario, I bet you do. They're the WORST company in the business of cable TV. Not that their products are bad, it's their customer service.

Shaw Cable kicks ass. I bought an HDPVR from them & had some trouble setting it up. I had a weak signal and they came over and fixed the issue within a few days. Shaw's customer service is great, they're friendly & happy, unlike the angry dicks at Rogers.

I have Shaw Internet & Cable & so far it's been great. No interruptions in the service, the internet is fast (they have 25 MB Nitro internet here) and the TV is great. My only complaint is that they don't have OMNI TV Toronto and I'm hoping that changes as Rogers has bought CITY TV. Shaw seems to give a shit about their customers unlike Rogers. I'm sure people have complaints about Shaw, but so far I'm happy.

Food

2007-07-29T10:07:00.000-06:00

I've now been eating here for 5 months so I've got a better understanding on how much food costs. Food is expensive in Calgary & it's crap

I've taken to shopping at Superstore. They are owned by Loblaws & in Calgary terms actually pretty affordable. Most hard goods aren't that crazily priced, but you'll still pay more than in the east. They do have a good selection of Organics if that is your thing. Where they suck is that the places are massive. Grocery shopping used to take me 30 minutes at Central Fresh Market in Kitchener. Today, it's a 2 hour adventure, plus a 20 minute drive. If you go to the Superstore, go on a Monday or Tuesday, otherwise, it's a zoo. The parking lots are jammed and the buildings are full of people. It becomes frustrating to shop, people in the way, jammed isles, etc.

Superstore also has crap produce. I buy fruit and veggies from this place and it's moldy within a week. You can't stock up because everything will go bad. What's weird about this is that..it's summer, so things are in season. How can shit go bad in a week when it's in season? I shudder to imagine what it's going to be like in the middle of winter.

Your other choice is Safeway or Co-Op, but....you'll pay out your ass for food there. I can see it costing 600 bucks a month to eat for 2 people if you just shopped at Safeway. Where it does make sense is for fruits....the quality is much better. The other positive about Safeway is that it's likely near your house. Calgary is a VERY spread out city, so you can spend 30 minutes getting to a Superstore if there is traffic. You can likely walk to your Safeway

"I need a second job"

2007-07-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

I hear that phrase alot lately. I work for a handful of companies doing IT and I hear the people complaining about the high costs & the need for a second job. As prices continue to go rise, this seems to be the cry I hear from almost everyone.

The high costs of Calgary are starting to chase people out of town. I know a few people that are selling their places and moving away. Take the money and run as the song says. With houses at 500K, even a well paid dual income couple would have a tough time buying something here without 100K down. The costs of housing aren't just the problem....it's the high cost of food. They claim that inflation is 6% in this city, but I get the feeling it's more like 10 to 15% a year. Unless your salary is going up at that level, you can see where you'll end up. You'll need a second job too.

It really makes me shake my head that you'd need a second job in a city like this. I thought this was the Alberta Advantage? You'll get a few old timers that will tell you that "you don't pay the tax". This is a pile of bullshit. Food isn't taxable elsewhere & the 8% PST you pay in Ontario is far less than the 50% higher you pay for alot of things here.

Wireless Internet

2007-07-29T09:55:00.001-06:00

One thing that really pisses me off about Calgary is the lack of Wi Fi. In places like Toronto and Waterloo they had municipal Wi-Fi systems. If you were in the city centre, you could fire up the laptop and you could connect to a system. They required an account, but they at least had one.

Calgary has none. It's entire city core, which has 250,000 workers in it has no Wi-Fi at all. Really annoying when you are sitting having lunch and want to surf

Another VERY annoying thing about this town is that cafe's and pubs CHARGE for the use of their wireless. A Starbucks will have Wi Fi, but it's via Telus & costs 6 bucks for an hour. That's outrageously expensive and a huge piss off. Free Wi-Fi in Ontario cafe's is commonplace & it's a great reason to go to a cafe. I can't speak for the rest of the province, but the places in Waterloo often had plugs for laptop users.

You'd think that as Canada's richest city they'd offer some form of muni Wi-Fi. Calgary's always talking about how it wants to be a player in the technical realm, but I'm not so sure. I think Waterloo & Ottawa have that hands down.