Economic shifts...

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

Edmonton: Live music while you shop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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..