Ugly Side: Part 3

Calgary Transit

To most, Calgary is a city that's deemed as "rich" by much of the country and world.  Yet, we have a 3rd world transit system. 

For starters, the C Train regularly breaks down.  Follow @calgarytransit on Twitter and you'll see an "issue" at least 3 times a week.   It is impossible to rely on this system to get you places on time.  Previous governments and their pocket book mentality have created a system suitable for a town of 100,000 people, not a major city.   Further to this, the C Train cars are not all air conditioned and the old ones have no air flow at all.  It can (and does) get to 40C in these cars in summer.  Sorry about your suit.  

Now you could always take the bus.  That is of course...if you can get ON the bus.   Take Route 3 for example.  It runs every 5 minutes yet the buses are full.  So full that often times a few of them will drive by before you can get on.  I used to use this bus then realized I was just smarter to walk to work.  Other routes are the same.  Full buses with no space at all.   And if that's not bad enough the drivers turn on the heat when we don't need heat. Do we need heat in a bus with 200 people squished in like sardines?  Often times it's so hot in the buses water vapour drips down the glass.  Again, if you live anywhere in the core, just say no to the bus and walk. It's easier and faster.  Trust me.

Other examples of Calgary Transit stupidity:  When the 10th Ave C Train station was closed down, there was no warning.  When I called Calgary Transit, they told me it was "on the website".   Really?  Do they think I wake up every morning and log into the Calgary Transit website to check the news?  I found out thanks to local media 1 day before it happened.  Clearly other people did too because I walked by the platform the next morning and there was hundreds of confused people wondering what happened. 

Or how about Chinook Station.  This is one of the busiest stations in the city and guess what they are going to do with it?  They're going to close it down while they rebuild it.  25,000 people a day use this station but instead of coming up with a plan, they close it down for apparently 8 months to rebuild it.  The result will be bedlam.  

Or how about expanding the platforms to 4 cars.  This process is going to take something like 3 years.  Oddly, they can build and entire LRT line in less than 3 years (West LRT).  4 car trains would alleviate crowding but they casually set out to change the platforms.  Meanwhile in other parts of the world they can build huge dams, massive skyscrapers & or airports in less than 3 years.   In short it's a fucking joke.  It's another reminder that Calgary Transit doesn't give a shit about YOU the customer. 

I used to be a regular Calgary Transit user.  I then decided I'd just as soon walk to work.  I do.  I spent 90 minutes a day walking to work and home, but it's more pleasant (and sometimes faster than the bus).  No overcrowding, no jerking buses sending you flying.  I also save 94 bucks a month (sans a few bus tickets on rain days). 

Oh and one last thing.  Calgary Transit has no AC on buses.  Needless to say, during summer, it's very sunny and very hot here.  The buses heat up to the point where people pass out.  I've seen men and women dripping with sweat.  It's uncomfortable walking home with business clothes on in 30C, but less so than being on the bus.  At least you get fresh air. 

Ugly side Part 2

The negative side of living in Calgary:  A city with it's head in it's ass. 


Until recently, there was a giant hole in the ground in the Mission.  It was there for 6-8 years.  Truth is, I have no idea how long it's been.   A few blocks away, there are several boarded up houses on 18th Ave.  They've been like that for 5 years.  Same can be found throughout Calgary, especially in the urban areas.  Houses which remain boarded up for years.   You don't have to be born in Detroit to know that a boarded up house doesn't help a neighborhood.  Nor does a big hole in the ground blocking the sidewalk. 

What does the city do?  Well you can complain to the city, but chances are they will do jack shit.  Case in point is John Mar, my own alderman.  Mr Mar has little to say about gaping holes in the ground or boarded up houses.  Yet, when some hippie woman and her kid planted potatoes (to give to the food bank), Mr Mar freaked out and called in bylaw.  The story hit the newspaper.  Now, it was on  a vacant lot (with a absentee landlord) so it was private property but so what.  It's OUR neighborhood, not some asshole absentee landlord.  Yet clearly "Potatogate" was an issue while boarded up crack houses are not. 

And how about parking?   A while back I was standing out front of my condo waiting for a taxi.  I stood watching TWO city parking workers measure to see if a car was too close to the stop sign.  Both of there brought out tape measures, chalk and a long stick to ascertain if the car was.  As I stood there I was reminded of no less than 2 boarded up houses within 2 blocks of where I was.  And I was reminded how the intersection I often walk through has cars who just stop in the middle making it impossible to cross.  Clearly, parking is a high priority in the City of Calgary whereas derelict houses are not. 

Same can be said for the Bylaw Zealots who drive around.  I was helping a buddy fill up a truck after he reno'd his house.  The truck was in the back (big truck for the dump) and bylaw stopped.  They proceeded to lecture us about all the material piled up beside the garage of this house in the alley.   Well duh, that's what the junk truck was for.  He then proceeded to say that just having it there could lead to a ticket.  My response was less than polite & that maybe they should go do something worthwhile with their time as Calgary has a fair share of "serious problems".  

In short, in Calgary, derelict houses are GOOD, parking too close to the stop sign is BAD.  These are the priorities of local city council.   In Calgary, it's all about revenue generation. 

Now the ugly side of things

For the most part I've remained positive on the experiences of "Moving to Calgary".  I believe that finding the good in life simply puts you in a better frame of mind.  Yet, I've had complaints on this blog about how come I never point out the bad side of Calgary.   So I shall


Chapter 1:  If you are a renter

I've rented numerous apartments in my life.  I've had good and bad experiences.  I can say that home ownership brings it's own set of challenges (like making it hard to move if you live next door to a douche).

Renting in Calgary and in Alberta is most likely going to be a bad experience.  Rental costs in Calgary are as high, or higher, than what you would find in the West End of Vancouver.  Often, you will pay outrageous rental costs for buildings that are "sub par" on the best of days.  I know personally of people who have suffered through slum lord type of conditions.  In one case, I went to visit a friend in a building managed by a well known property company.  They had 1 elevator out of service & the other was on "move in".  The result was that everyone had to use the stairs to go up.  That day I just happened to be on crutches due to a previous accident.  7 flights of stairs with a near broken foot.  The person in the building later moved. 

And speaking from personal experience, I once lived in a building in Calgary in an urban area.  The landlord (another well known company) refused to put working locks on the door.  The result was all types of scumbags would come in the building.  Of course nothing says "surprise" like some crack head in your laundry room routing through your wet clothes.   A drug den was later set up behind the place & the company refused to put out any lights.  In fact, it was pitch black back there.  The result was several folks on my floor just vacated their units because they were so afraid.   I also vacated the property & was advised I was in "breach" of my lease.  My response was I had ample evidence of their negligence & told the property manager I would share my findings with every tenant & prospective tenant that came to the building.   I also said they were welcome to sue me (I quote "I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker").   The result was they found a "loophole" to get me out of the building mid lease.  The place was full of bedbugs too but thankfully were not in my unit.  Regardless, I slept on a blow up bed for 5 months for fear my expensive bedding would be ruined. 

Another time, while living in Edmonton, I arrived to find my new apartment still filthy dirty.  I signed off on the apartment as "filthy dirty", took pictures and cleaned it myself.  When I moved out, I left it as I received it (filthy).  The landlord made it clear I would be paying for the cleanup, but a quick trip to the Alberta rental disagreement people (use it) and I received my entire deposit back. 

In fact, this specific landlord (another major company) was unreal.  I met a guy who lived on my floor and was moving out.  He had to leave by noon on the last day of the month BUT was just moving down the hall.  The unit was empty BUT they told him he could not take possession of the unit until the next day.   He was forced to move ALL his furniture down to the truck, sleep in the truck overnight & then move it all back upstairs the next day...3 doors from his original place.  I'm not lying. 

I could go on with horror stories, but expect them.  If you can, buy a house or a condo...it'll save you the grief and it'll cost the same anyway.  

What should you do in Alberta if you rent?

1.  Understand that being polite & sensible does not work.  You are required to be an asshole & escalate EVERY issue you have to every single email you can

2.  Threaten to inform the rest of the tenants about your issues.  If there is a clause in the lease that prohibits you from doing this, threaten to stand outside on public property and hand out flyers.  And then do it.  You only need to do it once. 

3.  Document everything.  Take photos & notes of the problems, even problems that aren't affecting you.  List the time, date & where it happened with a photo (with a date).   When I fought the landlord that refused to put locks on the doors (which lead to addicts in the building) I had over 30 pages of complaints with photos & dates.   The result was that the "judge" in the case (it's some type of rental tribunal thing) chastized the landlord & set out a directive to have them fix the issues within a certain time frame.  In short, I won. 

4.  Just as important, mail your local MLA and the mayor.  Advise them of how SICK and TIRED you are of dealing with this type of treatment.  Once you've said that remind them that this type of issue does not make folks want to move here.  I'm a senior professional & I can find work in pretty much any city.  Why would I move to Calgary if I had to rent (and most people rent the first year or two).   I would simply stay put or go elsewhere.  In my own case, I did (Vancouver).