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.