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AUGUST 2019 | $4.95 AVENUECALGARY.COM
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BEST PLACES TO LIVE
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U N E AV
Our Doors Are Open!
Imagine Your Child Here! Come and immerse yourselves in our Kindergarten to Grade 12 community with tours, activities and our annual Family Fall Fair happening outside on campus.
Open House September 21, 2019 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
RSVP at strathconatweedsmuir.com
Welcome to your happy place.
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A COMMUNITY THAT FITS, A LOCATION YOU’LL LOVE. No matter what your stage of life, Riverstone has a home for you – Townhomes, Single family homes, and Estate Homes now selling in Calgary’s best keep secret, Cranton’s Riverstone. Become neighbors with the natural beauty of the Bow River, established schools & amenities of Cranston, and connections to Fish Creek Park. No distractions, just nature.
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OWN YOUR FUTURE westislandcollege.ab.ca
403.444.0023
7410 Blackfoot Trail S.E.
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« CONDOS »
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84 Heritage Lake Drive, Heritage Pointe, AB
51 Cheyanne Meadows Way, Bearspaw, AB
BED: 3 BATH: 2 1,567 SQ.FT. FABULOUS NEW 3 bedroom condo in the Royal. This outstanding condo is in the Sky Collection with lavish upgrades, with 1,567 sq.ft. of contemporary open concept layout.
BED: 5 BATH: 6 5,986 SQ.FT. MLS C4249110 Exquisite country estate with breathtaking mountain views on 141 acres. 2 hours from Calgary. 10 mins to the full amenities of Pincher Creek.
BED: 5 BATH: 4/1 4,581 SQ.FT. MLS C4241349 Situated backing on to the Lake in Heritage Pointe, with a stunning view of an islet, one may only imagine the Muskoka lifestyle!
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Barb Richardson Jacqueline Thorogood
403.471.0467
$1,795,000
403.614.8772
BED: 5 BATH: 3/1 3,289 SQ.FT. MLS C4256644 Elegant family home on 1/4 acre lot on one of Calgary’s best streets. Beautifully updated & maintained. Stunning outdoor spaces, mature landscaping.
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403.613.8737 403.909.8766
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4404 Britannia Drive SW, Calgary, AB
403.618.5883
33077 Range Road 40, Rural Mountain View County, AB
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209 Pinnacle Ridge Place, Calgary, AB
BED: 4 BATH: 3/1 2,680 SQ.FT. MLS C4248362 33ac along Lil Red Deer River with 3/4m frontage. 5324sqf home, shop, out buildings grazing riding area.
BED: 2 BATH: 1/1 1,199 SQ.FT. MLS C4249111 Escape to a magical mountain retreat. Custom-designed, handcrafted timber frame home on 5.71 acres. Located 1 KM from Waterton Lakes National Park.
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403.466.9874 587.434.1808
403.614.8772
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67 Lakeshore Drive, Lower Kananaskis Lake, AB
301 Buffalo Street, Banff, AB
1333 Montreal Avenue SW, Calgary, AB
2818 Linden Drive SW, Calgary, AB
BED: 4 BATH: 2 3,382 SQ.FT. MLS C4235407 Positioned along the shores of Lower Kananasksis Lake less than 1.5 hours from Calgary yet worlds away.
BED: 6 BATH: 6/1 8,011 SQ.FT. MLS C4203147 The grandeur of the Canadian Rockies is embodied throughout this private estate on the banks of the Bow.
BED: 3 BATH: 2/1 2,458 SQ.FT. MLS C4237581 SOPHISTICATED, CONTEMPORARY Mount Royal home located on one of the the finest streets in Mount Royal.
BED: 3 BATH: 3 2,156 SQ.FT. MLS C4233544 Immaculate brick bungalow in the heart of Lakeview Village on Linden Drive with lush incredible garden.
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CALGARY 403.254.5315
CANMORE 1.855.254.5315
403.254.5315
VANCOUVER 604.632.3300
VICTORIA 250.380.3933
SUN PEAKS 250.578.7773
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KELOWNA 1.877.530.3933
TORONTO 416.960.9995
Canadian Owned and Operated. E.&O.E.: This information is from sources which we deem reliable, but must be verified by prospective Purchasers and may be subject to change or withdrawal.
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MONTREAL 514.933.4777
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Summer Every Summer Has a Story...
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FOREIGN CONCEPT August 22
Join us for a unique multi-sensory experience. Chef/owner Duncan Ly and executive chef Jinhee Lee have created a one-night-only menu showcasing some of the highlight flavours and ingredients of Asian fusion cuisine. Diners will have the chance to see, touch and smell many of their ingredients in their raw state for a sensory trip through chefs Ly and Lee’s cooking. Partial proceeds from the 2019 Avenue Dinner Series will be donated to The Alex Community Food Centre and the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
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Integrity Built Into Every Home. The Heart of Homebuilding® We know Calgarians have choices when buying a home. That’s why we strive to deliver excellence with award-winning design and quality workmanship. We’ve built a reputation of trust and integrity by delivering on our promises, and we pride ourselves on our passion and commitment. We’ll never stop exploring innovative ways to improve the design, quality and functionality of each and every Trico home.
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Your next adventure starts here Montane Fernie oers modern mountain living, breathtaking views, and an extensive multi-use trail system steps from your door. Yirri Cottages, Brewery Creek Homes, and Morrissey Court Lots are coming soon. Contact Steven Szelei to start a conversation.
250-423-8559 sales@parastone.ca www.montanefernie.ca
THIS IS SENIOR LIVING I N C A L G A RY
When you’re ready, let us get to know you. Together we can create a personalized senior living experience to support your unique needs, even as those needs change.
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CITY| LIFE| STYLE| CALGARY
contents AUGUST 2019
AUGUST 2019 | $4.95 AVENUECALGARY.COM
AUGUST 2019
ON THE C OV ER
Illustration by Raymond Biesinger Best Neighbourhoods 2019 | The Two-Tier Food System | New Mountain Communities
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BEST PLACES
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The results of our annual survey of what Calgarians are looking for in a great neighbourhood are in and they may (or may not) surprise you. See which communities scored best based on the things that survey respondents told us were most important.
Going beyond the city’s borders into five nearby small towns, each with its own distinct character and charms.
These days, consumers can buy sustainable and “ethically” farmed meat, produce and other items. But if not everyone can afford to eat ethically, then just how ethical is it?
By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Bonnie Kitteringham and Käthe Lemon
By Jennifer Hamilton
By Marcello Di Cintio
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A writer who has experienced racism explains why uncomfortable conversations are necessary if we want to evolve into a society where everyone feels comfortable.
If you’re thinking of buying a place in the mountains, these three new developments in Canmore and Fernie and just outside of Revelstoke all have unique things to offer.
Film-photography aficionado Benjamin Longman on what he loves in the city, including his favourite pub, tea and record store.
PM# 40030911
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TO LIVE 2019
Best Neighbourhoods 2019
DEPARTMENTS 20 EDITOR’S NOTE 22 CONTRIBUTORS 82 WORK OF ART
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Opinion
Town Tours
Mountains
By Colleen Seto
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The List
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New & Noteworthy
Detours The world of drag has long been ruled by queens, but meet the Calgary-based king muscling in on the spotlight. Plus, a machine that spits out short stories at the Central Library, some things to know about local animator Cam Christiansen’s thoughtful new feature film, our roundup of things to do in the city this month, and more.
The Two-Tier Food System
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Food & Drink Step inside some of the cafés, restaurants and bars in Calgary where you can see work made by local artists.
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Decor An architect and his wife set out to design and build a home to sell, and accidentally created their dream home in the process.
A locally designed swimsuit, yoga mat and skin care line for teens. Plus, a spa that comes right to your door!
AvenueCalgary.com
17
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Put your geeky skills to good use. Learn everything from software development and information technology to digital design and more in the School of Creative Technologies. Launch a career where things get made, and you get paid. bowvalleycollege.ca/creativetech
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We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut'ina and Stoney Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Publisher Joyce Byrne, jbyrne@redpointmedia.ca Editor-in-Chief Käthe Lemon, klemon@redpointmedia.ca Executive Editor Jennifer Hamilton, jhamilton@redpointmedia.ca Senior Art Director Venessa Brewer, vbrewer@redpointmedia.ca Executive Editor, Digital Content Jaelyn Molyneux, jmolyneux@redpointmedia.ca Senior Editor Shelley Arnusch Associate Art Director Sarah McMenemy Assistant Editors, Digital Content Alyssa Quirico, Alana Willerton Editorial Assistant Colin Gallant Staff Photographer Jared Sych Production Designer Austin Jansen Contributing Editor Andrew Guilbert Top 40 Under 40 Intern Amber McLinden Editorial Interns Nathan Kunz Digital Interns Stephanie Joe, Mariah Wilson Fact Checkers Matthew Coyte, Jennifer Dorozio, Jennifer Friesen Contributors Raymond Biesinger, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Marcello Di Cintio, Jennifer Friesen, Bonnie Kitteringham, Citlali Loza, Emily Press, Christie Simmons, Katherine Ylitalo Land Acknowledgement Advisors Elder Edmee Comstock, Elder Reg Crowshoe, Elder Rose Crowshoe Print Advertising Coordinator Erin Starchuk, production@redpointmedia.ca Sales Assistant Robin Cook, rcook@redpointmedia.ca Director, National Sales Lindy Neustaedter Account Executives Elsa Amorim, Liz Baynes, Janelle Brown, Melissa Brown, Jocelyn Erhardt, Deise MacDougall, Anita McGillis, Chelsey Swankhuizen Production Manager Mike Matovich Digital Advertising Specialist Katherine Jacob Pickering (on leave) Digital Advertising Coordinator Silvana Franco Audience Development/Reader Services Manager Rob Kelly Printing Transcontinental LGM Distribution City Print Distribution Inc.
Avenue is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association and Magazines Canada, abiding by the standards of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. Paid circulation is audited by BPA Worldwide. REDPOINT MEDIA GROUP INC. President & CEO Pete Graves, pgraves@redpointmedia.ca Operations Manager Terilyn Lyons, tlyons@redpointmedia.ca Business Development Strategist Anita McGillis, amcgillis@redpointmedia.ca Client Relations Manager Natalie Morrison, nmorrison@redpointmedia.ca Events & Marketing Coordinator Angela Chios, achios@redpointmedia.ca Senior Accountant Marienell Lumbres, mlumbres@redpointmedia.ca Office Manager Anna Russo, arusso@redpointmedia.ca
NEWSLETTERS
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M A D E I N A L B E R TA Celebrate local makers and producers and find out who won our first annual Made in Alberta Awards. With entries from across Alberta in the categories of food, drink, beauty, home decor, fashion, leisure and craft you’ll be sure to find lots of local goods to love.
FA L L FA S H I O N Get ready for the crisp fall weather with layered looks that will take you through to winter.
F I R ST- T I ME H O M E BUYE RS A look at what sets the current crop of first-time home buyers apart from previous generations.
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avenue Best Neighbourhoods 2019 | The Two-Tier Food System | New Mountain Communities
Neighbourhoods for Everyone
BEST PLACES PM# 40030911
TO LIVE
2019
G E T AVE N U E O N YO U R TA B L E T! To get the tablet edition,
Käthe Lemon Editor-in-Chief klemon@redpointmedia.ca
go to avenuecalgary.com/ tabletedition
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has shown that life expectancy varies considerably — by as much as 30 years — by neighbourhood within the same city. We aren’t the only ones ranking places to live. Each year Gallup and Sharecare create a WellBeing Index of American cities. One of their findings has been that higher levels of diversity in an area also create higher levels of well-being. So greater diversity is great for everyone. But what does this tell us about Calgary’s neighbourhoods? In part, it tells us that a good neighbourhood is a good neighbourhood for everyone. To build a city for all Calgarians, we do that best by building neighbourhoods for all Calgarians. This is reflected in our research as well: there was very little difference between demographic groups in what they said made a great neighbourhood. A great neighbourhood should be a home of choice to Calgarians across many spectrums — including household size, socio-economic level, ethnic background and age — for owners and renters alike. Great neighbourhoods should also be home to a variety of vibrant businesses. This
is good not only for the neighbourhood residents, but for the city as a whole, as demonstrated by Calgary’s most recent problems with business taxes. If more businesses were spread throughout our city (and more residences throughout our downtown) the result could be less-dramatic ups and downs with business taxes based on location. As urbanist and author Jane Jacobs pointed out, a diversity of uses of our neighbourhoods increases flows of traffic throughout the day, not only decreasing traffic problems in one area, but also increasing safety by having more eyes on our streets at all times of day. If there’s just one thing you can do to improve your community it is to be more welcoming of diversity of all kinds. Support your hyper-local businesses, frequent your local parks, smile at your neighbours and strike up a conversation with someone on your street who you think you have nothing in common with. After 10 years of ranking neighbourhoods, if there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that Calgarians are very lucky indeed when it comes to where we live, no matter where that is in the city.
cabinetry designed for today … (403) 287-3403 bjornsondesigns.com 20
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#betterwithbjornson
Photograph by Jared Sych; hair and makeup by Citlali Loza
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or 10 years now we have been asking Calgarians what makes a neighbourhood great. What is the optimal mix of amenities and characteristics for a neighbourhood that you would want to live in? Most years the answer is some combination of parks and pathways, walkability and access to restaurants and grocery stores. We collect a huge amount of data and work with Leger Opinion to crunch the numbers. Our reporting reflects the best neighbourhoods according to the average response based on the data. This year, for the first time, you can visit our website, AvenueCalgary. com, to choose your own criteria and set your own parameters to find the Best Neighbourhoods for you. With more than 180 residential neighbourhoods in Calgary, it’s hard to know them all well, making comprehensive comparisons nearly impossible. Most of us know only a handful: the place we live, or where we used to live, where we work, where friends or family live, or sometimes a neighbourhood a realtor has pointed out. Where we live has profound impacts on our lives. It obviously affects our day-to-day living, how we interact with the city as well as the relationships we have with our neighbours. But there are also more hidden impacts on our health and happiness. For example, research conducted by
AUGUST 2019 | $4.95 AVENUECALGARY.COM
AUGUST 2019
EDITOR’S NOTE
CITY| LIFE| STYLE| CALGARY
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AvenueCalgary.com
21
ON THE WEB
CONTRIBUTORS RAYMOND BIESINGER
Raymond Biesinger is an illustrator and artist based in Montreal, who also spent a long time out West. He likes concepts, making music, politics, and a mix of minimalism and maximalism. He deploys physical things, electronic means, complex geometry and a B.A. in European and North American political history to make his images, and has been lucky to do so since the year 2000 in over 1,000 projects on five continents.
MARCELLO DI CINTIO Chinatown Street Festival.
EVENTS CALENDAR Browse hundreds of upcoming local events in our online calendar.
Marcello Di Cintio is the author of four books, including Walls: Travels Along the Barricades and Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense — both winners of the W.O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize. Di Cintio’s writing has appeared in publications such as The International New York Times, The Walrus, Canadian Geographic and Afar. He is now working on a book about the secret lives of Canadian taxi drivers.
AvenueCalgary.com/Events
/avenuecalgary @avenuemagazine @avenuemagazine
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EMILY PRESS
Emily Press is an illustrator and Sheridan College alumnus based out of Hamilton, Ont. Her illustrations are often inspired and influenced by the outdoors and could be described as playful, whimsical and colourful. Since graduating, Press has primarily worked for editorial clients such as Reader’s Digest and Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine, among others. In her spare time, she can be found trying to pet neighbourhood cats, drinking tea and watching hockey.
COLLEEN SETO
A born-and-raised Calgarian, Colleen Seto has been writing city tales for Avenue since its early days. Other publications in her portfolio include WestJet Magazine, Today’s Parent and National Geographic Books. She was also the former executive director of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. When not writing and editing, Seto enjoys good food, good conversation and good company — particularly that of her two kiddos, husband and pup at her home in Bragg Creek.
the most delicious destination in the Canadian Rockies
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AUG 16-25, 2019
CALGARY'S FAVOURITE SUMMER FOOD FESTIVAL, A 10-DAY PRIX FIXE CULINARY EVENT
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SUMMERFEAST.CA
DETOURS Duke Carson, Superstar Drag King
B
Photograph by Butch Squeeze
ack in May, 2018, Calgary’s Duke Carson was the first drag king to be crowned Alberta’s Next Drag Superstar (ANDS) by Evolution Wonderlounge. By September, he had been selected as one of only four drag king performers across Canada to be the subject of an episode of CBC’s Canada’s a Drag.
Drag king Duke Carson. AvenueCalgary.com
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Drag, the art of gender impersonation, has historically been focused on men who impersonate women. These performers typically get the lion’s share of the spotlight, but Calgary’s Fake Mustache Drag Troupe is helping expand that spotlight to include different perspectives, such as Carson’s. Western Canada’s largest and longest-running drag troupe, Fake Mustache welcomes performers of all genders in performance of whatever gender expression they like. Carson, known outside of drag as Jordan May, first attended a Fake Mustache event in October, 2013. “The community was electric and welcoming, and I’ve always loved performing in one way or the other, so I decided to give it a go,” says May. Carson was born on stage at a Fake Mustache show in March, 2014, and he has since become a full-fledged member of the troupe. Carson’s signatures include luscious, flowing locks, sculpted abs and rock ’n’ roll lip-sync performance numbers. One he’s particularly proud of is Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks a Lady).” That was the song that won Carson a spot in the qualifiers for ANDS 2018. “I was exhilarated afterwards,” he says (May uses masculine pronouns when speaking as Carson). “The entire building was so loud. People were standing up and just screaming.” In addition to the time spent preparing for and performing several shows a week as Carson and sewing many of his outfits, May also works full-time at Cummins Sales and Service as a heavyduty mechanic. She had been considering leaving the industry because she “THE COMfelt Carson and his sucMUNITY WAS cesses were things she ELECTRIC AND could never share with co-workers at her previous WELCOMING, AND I’VE ALjob. However, acting on WAYS LOVED the recommendation of PERFORMING a former instructor, she IN ONE WAY applied at Cummins OR THE OTHER, based on its recognition SO I DECIDED for diversity and incluTO GIVE IT A sion. May was wary, but GO.” –Jordan May decided that she would give it a month. “The company has been absolutely incredible and supportive of me, getting me on board with their education and queer training,” she says. You can see Duke Carson on stage at various venues during Calgary Pride Festival this year, as well as at Morley Two-Spirit Pride at the Morley First Nation. —Colin Gallant 26
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Musician and brain-injury survivor Tobey Kai.
“I DON’T THINK I CAN DESCRIBE HOW PAINFUL IT IS WHEN YOUR BRAIN STARTS TO BLEED. WAKING UP LIKE THAT, NOT TO BE CRUDE, BUT YOU ALMOST WISH YOU HADN’T.”
Minding the Music
M
usician Tobey Kai cared for her grandfather during his final years, and his dementia symptoms meant he would often ask her questions like: “how many days have passed?” “why am I here?” and “who are you?” In October, 2017, Kai wrote a song dedicated to her late grandfather, using many of the things he had said to her as lyrics. She dedicated the song “Who Are You” to Alzheimer’s and brain-injury awareness. Within two months of recording the song, however, it took on a new dimension. While downhill-skiing, Kai suffered a traumatic brain hemorrhage after she slipped on ice and an unidentified person skied over her head and left her on the slope. “When I woke up there was so much pain. I don’t think I can describe just how painful it is when your brain starts to bleed,” she says. “Waking up like that, not to be crude, but you almost wish you hadn’t, because you can’t talk, you can’t express yourself, you can’t do most basic things.”
Kai’s road to recovery started with small steps, like trying to move her toes. When she regained some movement there, and then in her legs, she also regained hope. Now, more than a year later, Kai is back on her feet, although not fully recovered. She still suffers short-term memory loss and is unable to play piano like she did before her injury. But despite this, Kai has continued making music and released her first four-song EP, Running, in June. In addition to “Who Are You,” the EP’s other songs tackle a range of topics including ocean conservation, veterans and their families, and breast cancer awareness. Kai has also been performing new songs in front of crowds of around 100 people, and plans on releasing new material, as well as two more EPs, in the coming months. “But for now, that’s it,” she says, “until I recover just a bit more.” —Andrew Guilbert
Photography supplied by Tobey Kai
DETOURS
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DETOURS
Short Stories on Demand
W
hen you order a latte at Lukes inside the new Central Library, consider whether you’d like a one-minute, three-minute, or five-minute story with it. The library’s new short story dispenser is located right next to the café. Step up, punch your selected time button on the machine, gather up the ribbon of paragraphs it doles out and enjoy! If you do, you’ll join the likes of Lorna Fraser, who stopped by Lukes while visiting the library for a talk and noticed others collecting strips of paper from the machine. She chose the three-minute button and received a delightfully ghoulish tale. “It was a suspense story about a psychopath murdering people. I can tell you, for a three-minute read, the author got in a lot of detail. It was very clever!” Fraser said. “Every time I go now, I’m going to get a story,” she added. “It’s like a free treat!” Rosemary Griebel, service design lead for the library, heard about the short story dispenser created by French publishing house Short Édition
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COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR
CALGARY
REGION
and decided Calgary needed one, too. Installed in February, it is one of only four in Canada, the other three being at the Edmonton International Airport, North Vancouver’s Capillano University and a Quebec City hotel. To ensure the machine offered Calgary voices, Griebel and Lisa Murphy Lamb, director of the creative-writing hub Loft 112, reached out to local writers for submissions. Writers of all stripes enthusiastically wrote or bent already existing fiction into 2,600-, 4,800- or 8,000-character stories. As a result, the library’s short story machine launched with 47 local stories, in addition to works from all over the world. By the end of the year Griebel says they should have around 100. “It’s an interesting creative challenge,” says Tim Ryan, a Calgary author who has contributed two five-minute stories to the project. “The length confines what you do, but it demands more discipline. We’ve got shorter attention spans now, but who doesn’t have one, three or five minutes for a story?” —Christie Simmons
The short story dispenser at the Central Library prints out stories based on the number of minutes it takes to read them.
6 Things to Know about the Animated Documentary WALL
Cam Christiansen photograph courtesy of National Film Board
W
ALL, the debut feature-length animated documentary by Calgary filmmaker (and Avenue Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2008 alumnus) Cam Christiansen, has been a hit on the global film-festival circuit and has been reviewed in The New York Times. You can see WALL at the Central Library on Aug. 24. Here are six things to know before you go. 1. WALL is an adaptation of a monologue by internationally acclaimed playwright and screenwriter David Hare, a two-time Oscarnominee for the films The Hours and The Reader. The film blends animation, narration and 3D image capture in the storytelling. 2. The plot follows Hare as he tours Israel and Palestine for a philosophical look at what the controversial 708-kilometre border wall separating the nations reveals about the larger world. 3. The film took around seven years to create. This was due in part to location work split between the Middle East, London, Calgary
Calgary filmmaker Cam Christiansen.
Imagine Rocky Mountain sunsets as the backdrop for family lakeside dinners on the terrace; setting out by kayak for sun-drenched summer adventures, or perhaps an early morning swim. It’s all waiting for you at home in Harmony
and Banff, plus the time-intensive animation process that required a team of 12. 4. Christiansen has five credited roles on the project: director, animator, producer, editor and art direction/concept artist. He was handpicked by the National Film Board of Canada to lead the project and create the artistic design for the film’s bold visual style. 5. WALL isn’t a movie that takes a binary right or wrong look at its subject and doesn’t offer easy answers. Christiansen says his biggest hope for the film is that it serves to remind audiences that difficult, complex subjects are worth taking a thorough look at. Shying away from difficult topics or rushing to snap judgments only reinforces the walls — literal and figurative — between us. 6. Christiansen will host a Q & A at the screening with special guest Marcello Di Cintio, an award-winning author (and Avenue contributor) whose book Walls: Travels Along the Barricades also deals with walls and their implications. —C.G.
THE HOME AND OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME LUXURY LAKEFRONT ESTATE HOMES IN HARMONY Private Docks • 46’-60’wide lot widths • Character rich architectural styles
B U I L D YO U R D R E A M H O M E
STARTING FROM $1.5M to $4M LIVEINHARMONY.CA Crafted for Life. Designed Around You.
CARMINE’S PIZZERIA This new 18-seat pizzeria brings
DETOURS
New York-style pizza, soft-serve ice cream and more to Calgary’s Highwood neighbourhood. Takeout and delivery are also available. 390 Northmount Dr. N.W., 403-457-8885, carminespizza.ca
CHAIRMAN’S STEAKHOUSE Located in Westman Village in
OAK AND TONIC
the community of Mahogany,
Looking for organic and natural
Vintage Group’s new 192-seat
beauty products? Oak and Tonic’s
steak house is the place to enjoy
new store in Southcentre stocks
Canadian Prime beef in an Old
100 per cent Canadian brands,
Hollywood-inspired setting. Try
such as Basd, Om Organics and
to get a seat on the wraparound
Kaia Naturals. Southcentre,
patio overlooking Mahogany Lake.
403-236-9509, oakandtonic.ca
2251 Mahogany Blvd. S.E. 587-291-9898, chairmans.ca
HEATHEN’S BREWING Western Canada’s first glutenfree brewery has arrived. Swing by the Calgary tasting room to try brews like the Peanut Butter Stout with a gluten-free snack. 7, 3300 14 Ave. N.E., heathensbrewing.ca
Aesop. .
AESOP Australian beauty brand Aesop has opened its first Alberta location in CF Chinook Centre. Shampoos, facial cleansers, perfumes and more fill the brushed-steel shelves in this store, with decor inspired by Alberta’s landscape. CF Chinook Centre, 403-255-5582, aesop.com
Calgary Heritage Roasting Company. 3 0.
avenueAUGUST.19
Lulu Bar.
CALGARY HERITAGE ROASTING COMPANY
LULU BAR
SUNNYCIDER
Concorde Group’s new restaurant
One of Calgary’s first cideries
Founded by two former wildland
serves Pacific-inspired dishes like
has now opened the city’s first
firefighters, this local coffee com-
fried coconut squid, wood-fired
cider house in the northeast
pany recently opened a cozy,
skewers and steamed lobster
community of Franklin. Swing
rustic cafe and roastery in the
dumplings. Stop by during the
by for a glass of cider made
historic C.C. Snowdon building
daily happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m.
from a mix of Calgary and
in Ramsay.
when most of the cocktails are
Okanagan fruit.
2020 11 St. S.E.,
half price.
1, 3300 14 Ave. N.E.,
calgaryheritageroastingco.com
510 17 Ave. S.W., lulubar.ca
403-606-9007, sunnycider.ca
Aesop photograph courtesy of Aesop; Calgary Heritage Roasting Company and Heathen’s Brewing photography by Amber McLinden; Oak and Tonic photograph courtesy of Oak and Tonic; Lulu Bar photograph by Jamie Anholt
Openings
do to
this month
T HEATRE CALGARY FRINGE FESTIVAL
theatre festival. Various venues, calgaryfringe.ca
FOOD & DRINK TASTE OF CALGARY AUG. 8 TO 11
Stampede Park, cirquedusoleil.com
FE S TIVAL CALGARY PRIDE FESTIVAL AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 2
appliances
Soleil celebrates the vibrant culture of Mexico.
•
The latest high-flying production from Cirque du
Celebrate Calgary’s gender- and sexually diverse
community during this 11-day extravaganza. Don’t
Various venues, calgarypride.ca
FOOD & DRINK BREWERY & THE BEAST AUG. 25
fixtures
Park on Sept. 1.
•
miss the parade and after-party at Prince’s Island
Send August out with a bang by spending a day at
to p s
Fort Calgary, 750 9 Ave. S.E., breweryandthebeast.com/calgary
•
this all-you-can-eat barbecue binge. There’s beer, too!
•
lifestyle series
AUG. 16 TO SEPT. 22
introducing
CI RC US LUZIA
appliances
Elliston Park, 1827 68 St. S.E., globalfest.ca
•
food vendors, cultural activities and a market.
esign
fireworks shows, the festival includes live music,
fixtures
on Aug. 15, 17, 20, 22 and 24. Along with the big
•
This annual fireworks festival lights up the night sky
counter tops
AUG. 15 TO 24
•
FE S TIVAL GLOBALFEST
cabinets
Eau Claire Market, tasteofcalgary.com
pr o f e s s i o n a l s
at this staple outdoor dining event.
design
•
Get to know the city’s broad range of flavours
TRUST THE DENCA EXPERIENCE
and downtown Calgary at this anything-goes indie
re n ovat i o n s
Enjoy nine days of shows at venues in Inglewood
a f f o r d a b l e p e r s o n a l5i z5e5 d c-a 60 b i n eav t r ye n u e Se , Ca l g a r y 40 3 . 2 5 2 . 5 5 5 2 f i t t i n g yo u a n d yo u r l i fe st y l e 5 5 5 - 6 0 AV E N U E S E , C A LG A R Y | 4 0 3 - 2 5 2 - 5 5 5 2
AUG. 2 TO 10
CABINETS
from concept to completionTM
since 1977 AvenueCalgary.com
31
EasyMax® Energy Tip #8
New homes deserve great energy. EasyMax can help fill your new home with great energy. ®
Get your energy moving with ENMAX Energy.
310-6010 | enmax.com/easymax Electricity |
Natural Gas
All customers are free to purchase natural gas services from the default supply provider or from a retailer of their choice and to purchase electricity services from the regulated rate provider or from a retailer of their choice. The delivery of natural gas and electricity to you is not affected by your choice. If you change who you purchase natural gas services or electricity services from, you will continue receiving natural gas and electricity from the distribution company in your service area. For a current list of retailers you may choose from, visit www.ucahelps.gov.ab.ca or call 310-4822 (toll free in Alberta). | ENMAX Corporation ®
32
avenueAUGUST.19
Best Neighbourhoods 2 0 1 9 The results of our all-new survey.
Avenue’s
F
inding a good place to live in Calgary isn't hard. But what about the best place to live? And what even makes it the best? A big part of the answer to that question is personal. Many of us want to live close to family or friends, in the same neighbourhood we grew up in or close to work, or sometimes it’s just that we love the look of a particular home on a particular street. Some of the answers have to do with intangible and subjective feelings about a place — how it feels to be there or to give it as your address rather than anything quantifiable. But putting all that aside for a moment, this is our data-driven approach to ranking the 187 residential neighbourhoods of Calgary. What makes a neighbourhood the perfect place for you to live is a matter of personal taste. But what makes a neighbourhood a great place to live for most Calgarians? What characteristics and amenities are the most desirable to most of us? That’s the question we try to answer each year with our Best Neighbourhoods survey and rankings. In our 10th annual survey, respondents said a great neighbourhood is one with lots of parks, good access to groceries, a high Walk Score and access to restaurants (although not too many). Good access to major roads and strong community engagement were also factors. We collected data for each neighbourhood on each of these points and worked with our survey partner Leger Opinion to calculate the results. —K.L.
BY Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Bonnie Kitteringham, Käthe Lemon AND Amber McLinden ILLUSTRATIONS BY Raymond Biesinger
The
TOP TEN
score
BRENTWOOD 73.7 2 HUNTINGTON HILLS 70.1 3 BOWNESS 65.4 4 VARSITY 65.3 5 ARBOUR LAKE 64.4 6 ACADIA 62.5 7 DALHOUSIE 62.41 8 LAKE BONAVISTA 62.35 9 SIGNAL HILL 61.9 10 EDGEMONT 60.1 1
33 AvenueCalgary.com
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avenueAUGUST.19
15
MA
BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD RANK SCORE BRENTWOOD 1 73.7 HUNTINGTON HILLS 2 70.1 3 TRA BOWNESS 3 65.4 NSCA NA DA VARSITY 4 65.3 HIG HW AY ARBOUR LAKE 5 64.4 ACADIA 6 62.5 DALHOUSIE 7 62.41 LAKE BONAVISTA 8 62.35 SIGNAL HILL 9 61.9 EDGEMONT 10 60.1 ALBERT PARK/ 11 59.39 RADISSON HEIGHTS SHAWNESSY 12 59.36 HAYSBORO 13 59.22 MONTGOMERY 14 58.15 THORNCLIFFE 15 58.13 BRIDGELAND/RIVERSIDE 16 57.9 FOREST LAWN 17 57.0 CANYON MEADOWS 18 56.96 DOVER 19 56.6673 HILLHURST 20 56.6667 MCKENZIE TOWNE 21 56.2 MCKENZIE LAKE 22 55.0 SCENIC ACRES 23 54.9 SOUTHWOOD 24 54.8 SILVER SPRINGS 25 54.2 RIVERBEND 26 54.0 MARLBOROUGH PARK 27 53.7 BEDDINGTON HEIGHTS 28 53.6 PINERIDGE 29 53.2 OGDEN 30 52.94 WOODBINE 31 52.87 BELTLINE 32 52.6 WILLOW PARK 33 52.3 ALTADORE 34 52.2 CRESCENT HEIGHTS 35 51.9 RANCHLANDS 36 51.5 BANFF TRAIL 37 50.9 TUSCANY 38 50.5 TEMPLE 39 50.3 MANCHESTER 40 50.2 GLENDALE 41 50.0 UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 42 49.5 CRANSTON 43 49.3 GLAMORGAN 44 48.75 RUNDLE 45 48.72 HIDDEN VALLEY 46 47.91 PANORAMA HILLS 47 47.86 DOUGLASDALE/GLEN 48 47.6 SOUTHVIEW 49 47.4 WINSTON HEIGHTS/ 50 47.3 MOUNTVIEW
2
NOSE HILL PARK
7
25
34
28
10
STONEY TRAIL
CH
CROWCHILD TRAIL
OW
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46 CR
43
Brentwood is Best
Community Highlights
T
he community of Brentwood is a perennial Top 10 finisher in Avenue’s Best Neighbourhoods survey. The abundance of parks, schools, recreational facilities and shopping has always helped it to rack up an enviable ranking. The neighbourhood scores well thanks to its consistency and old-school community feel with lots of engagement and tons of amenities, established businesses and parks. But this year is the first time that the northwest community has claimed the top overall spot. Established in 1960, Brentwood sits in a pocket just south of Nose Hill Park and north of the University of Calgary, with quick access to both the mountains and the city’s core. But the neighbourhood’s appeal goes beyond that convenient location. Like so many communities of its vintage, it has streets lined with mature trees and modest, but well-kept homes. But despite its age, Brentwood feels as vibrant now as it did 30 years ago, if not more so. Lee Hunt, who has lived in Brentwood for almost four decades and writes a monthly column for the Brentwood Bugle newsletter, says she has seen many of her older neighbours move on, making room for the next generation. “It’s rejuvenating again,” Hunt says. “We’re seeing more younger families. On our street we have got two ‘little
people’ in one house, and three in another. And you see more and more activities in the community centre, and for younger families.” Brentwood ranks second in the city for its number of community schools. There are several highly ranked elementary schools, plus two junior highs and Sir Winston Churchill High School all within Brentwood’s boundaries, meaning all those kids can attend every level of school within their own neighbourhood. A key draw for almost every demographic is Brentwood’s walkability, both in terms of parks and pathways and easy access to grocery stores, restaurants and other shops. There are medium-sized malls at either end of the community, allowing residents to walk (or take a short drive) to get whatever it is they may need. Those wanting to go farther afield can easily hop on a CTrain at the nearby Dalhousie or Brentwood stations. Of course, a neighbourhood is nothing without its people and Brentwood’s biggest asset may be its high degree of community engagement. This is not a transient neighbourhood — with 52.7 per cent of residences occupied by the owner, Brentwood is the kind of place that people come to settle, to raise a family, to live somewhere they can retire.
The convenient access to the rest of the city via roads such as Crowchild Trail and John Laurie Boulevard attracts residents with a wide range of experience and points of view, many of whom work to maintain Brentwood’s strengths. “Brentwood is undergoing a lot of change,” says Melanie Swailes, a longtime resident who serves as chair of the Brentwood Community Association’s development and transportation committee. “The community was mostly built in the ’60s, so a lot of things are over 50 years old and we’re seeing some redevelopment take place. We started our committee in 2017 because we felt we really needed to have a voice in how the community is being developed around us.” To that point, there have been several large-scale development permits in the area, residential towers are shooting up in the southeast corner of the community, aging shopping centres have been scheduled for overhauls and, as sprawl continues, this suburban neighbourhood feels closer to the inner city than ever before. Retaining an established neighbourhood’s signature flavour can be challenging, but if the current level of engagement and energy within the community is any indication, Brentwood is poised to be a top neighbourhood for many years, if not generations, to come. —E.C.B.
NOSE HILL LIBRARY
A bright and modern public library branch, Nose Hill is small enough to maintain a community vibe, but large enough that it has a nice-sized children’s space, an area for teens and bookable meeting rooms. Adjacent to the Sir Winston Churchill Aquatic & Recreation Centre and Brentwood Sportsplex, families often incorporate a trip to the library into their weekend or after-school plans. 1530 Northmount Dr. N.W., calgarylibrary.ca
NORTHLAND VILLAGE
Northland Village may not be as glitzy as CF Chinook Centre, but Brentwooders are happy to have a convenient mall without the traffic of bigger shopping centres. Home to anchors Walmart and Winners, Northland tenants also include Goodlife Fitness, a barbershop, drugstore, dentist and other health services, tutoring services and restaurants. 5111 Northland Dr. N.W., 403974-0050, northlandvillagemall.ca
PRAIRIE MILL BREAD CO.
A bakery staple since 2000, Prairie Mill specializes in organic breads made from heritage and whole grains. Brentwood residents often stop by more than once a week to get daily specials like jalapeno-cheddar and applecaramel loaves. 4820 Northland Dr. N.W., 403282-6455, prairiemillbread.com AvenueCalgary.com
35
BRENTWOOD
HUNTINGTON HILLS
BOWNESS
Population (2018 Census) ..................................11,065 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ................ -0.02 Density (people per sq. km) ...................................1,976 Walk Score ............................................................57 Transit Score .........................................................38 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............6.48% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......45.95% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.41% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........44.54% Engagement Score ..........................................133.79 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) 65.39
3
Population (2018 Census)...................................13,409 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.03% Density (people per sq. km)....................................2,794 Walk Score ............................................................55 Transit Score .........................................................54 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............2.37% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......56.74% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.02% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........52.84% Engagement Score ..........................................195.85 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .70.11
2
Population (2018 Census).....................................7,346 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018)................0.06% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................2,533 Walk Score ............................................................59 Transit Score .........................................................57 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ............11.46% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......52.74% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.12% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........59.58% Engagement Score ..........................................141.97 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) 73.74
1
TopBy 10 Communities the Numbers
AvenueCalgary.com
37
VARSITY
ARBOUR LAKE
ACADIA
DALHOUSIE
Population (2018 Census) ....................................8,885 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.05% Density (people per sq. km)....................................2,692 Walk Score ............................................................53 Transit Score .........................................................55 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............5.33% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......61.41% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.11% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........51.64% Engagement Score ............................................85.72 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) 62.41
7
Population (2018 Census) ..................................10,584 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.04% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................2,714 Walk Score ............................................................60 Transit Score .........................................................50 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............7.27% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......53.21% Total Dwellings Under Construction ........................0% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........45.36% Engagement Score ..........................................130.81 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .62.49
6
Population (2018 Census) ..................................10,636 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018)............. -0.03% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................2,417 Walk Score ............................................................46 Transit Score .........................................................43 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............2.38% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner ............84% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.03% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........68.07% Engagement Score ..........................................119.43 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .64.40
5
Population (2018 Census) ..................................12,691 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ....................0% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................1,866 Walk Score ............................................................62 Transit Score .........................................................56 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ............11.83% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......57.42% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................4.82% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........43.14% Engagement Score ..........................................115.58 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) 65.26
4
LAKE BONAVISTA
Population (2018 Census) ..................................10,292 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.02% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................1,979 Walk Score ............................................................55 Transit Score .........................................................44 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............3.72% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......86.35% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.05% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........79.64% Engagement Score ..........................................169.79 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .62.35
8
SIGNAL HILL
Population (2018 Census) ..................................13,488 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.01% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................2,409 Walk Score ............................................................57 Transit Score .........................................................42 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............3.31% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner ..........87.81 Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.02% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........64.73% Engagement Score ..........................................104.29 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .61.89
9
EDGEMONT
Population (2018 Census) ..................................15,442 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ............. -0.03% Density (people per sq. km) ...................................2,340 Walk Score ............................................................33 Transit Score .........................................................37 Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ..............2.07% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .......85.64% Total Dwellings Under Construction ...................0.11% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ...........81.16% Engagement Score ..........................................112.60 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .60.11
10
1 HUNTINGTON HILLS......... 66 2 VARSITY........................... 63 3 RIVERBEND...................... 62 4 COLLINGWOOD ............... 58 5 BEDDINGTON HEIGHTS..... 57 6 MCKENZIE LAKE............... 56 7 SCENIC ACRES................. 55 7 WOODBINE....................... 55 9 CAMBRIAN HEIGHTS......... 54 9 CANYON MEADOWS......... 54
IMPORTANCE ............................ 15.3
The neighbourhood has a high proportion of park space and pathways.
1
1 BELTLINE.......................... 92 2 ARBOUR LAKE.................. 79 3 MCKENZIE TOWNE............ 74 3 SHAWNESSY..................... 74 3 SIGNAL HILL..................... 74 6 BRENTWOOD.................... 62 7 HAYSBORO....................... 58 8 DEER RIDGE..................... 53 8 MANCHESTER................... 53 10 THORNCLIFFE................... 50
IMPORTANCE ............................ 14.8
2
The neighbourhood has good access to supermarkets, grocery stores and food markets.
Topby 10 Neighbourhoods Important Characteristics
AvenueCalgary.com
39
1 HUNTINGTON HILLS...195.85 2 MCKENZIE LAKE........181.88 3 LAKE BONAVISTA.......169.79 4 HILLHURST................169.08 5 PINERIDGE.................162.98 6 NEW BRIGHTON.........150.42 7 WOODBINE................148.90 8 SCENIC ACRES...........143.93 9 ALTADORE.................143.35 10 BRENTWOOD.............141.97
IMPORTANCE .............................. 9.3
5
The neighbourhood has strong community engagement.
1 CHINATOWN..................... 95 2 DOWNTOWN .................... 93 COMMERCIAL CORE 3 CLIFF BUNGALOW............. 92 4 EAU CLAIRE...................... 91 5 BELTLINE.......................... 90 5 DOWNTOWN .................... 90 WEST END 7 LOWER MOUNT ROYAL..... 86 7 DOWNTOWN .................... 86 EAST VILLAGE 9 SUNNYSIDE ..................... 85 9 HILLHURST....................... 85
IMPORTANCE............................. 13.6
3
The neighbourhood has a high Walk Score (Walk Score measures the number of errands you can do on foot).
1 MONTGOMERY............... 132 2 VARSITY......................... 126 3 UNIVERSITY ................... 124 OF CALGARY 4 UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS...... 119 5 MAYLAND HEIGHTS......... 106 6 ACADIA........................... 104 7 HILLHURST....................... 98 7 PINERIDGE........................ 98 9 BRENTWOOD.................... 97 9 SILVER SPRINGS............... 97
IMPORTANCE ...............................7.7
6
The neighbourhood has a high number of public recreation facilities (pool, recreation centre, art centre, etc.).
1 DOWNTOWN ...................462 COMMERCIAL CORE 2 BELTLINE........................418 3 DOWNTOWN ..................287 EAST VILLAGE 4 DOWNTOWN WEST END 226 5 SUNNYSIDE....................206 6 CRESCENT HEIGHTS.......180 7 CHINATOWN...................160 7 EAU CLAIRE....................160 9 INGLEWOOD...................140 10 LOWER MOUNT ROYAL...139
IMPORTANCE ............................ 10.5
4 The neighbourhood has access to a high number of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and/or pubs.
Calgary’s
WORST Neighbourhood
Population (2018 Census) .................................... 376 Population Growth Rate (2015 to 2018) ...........-0.06% Density (people per sq. km) ................................ 1,253 Walk Score ................................................NO DATA Transit Score .............................................NO DATA Commuters Who Walk or Bike to Work ........... 5.94% Dwellings that are Occupied by the Owner .... 89.24% Total Dwellings Under Construction ................ 1.90% Dwellings that are Single-family Homes ........... 100% Engagement Score ......................................... 76.53 Overall Score (index divided by sum of weights) .7.36
T
he results of Avenue’s Best Neighbourhoods survey are based on what the respondents say they value most in a neighbourhood. Each year we adjust the amenities and characteristics we ask about based on previous responses and available data, but try as we might, the answer to the question what makes a neighbourhood great has proven to be both subjective and personal. Although our results show the average response, in truth there seems to be very little consensus. The lowest-ranked neighbourhood this year perfectly exemplifies why. With no public schools, no library, no grocery stores nor restaurants of any kind — indeed, no business licenses registered in the entire community — the lowest-ranked neighbourhood is so devoid of action that it doesn’t even have a Walk Score or a Transit Score. In many places it doesn’t even have sidewalks. The neighbourhood is Bel-Aire and it’s not only the last-placed neighbourhood this year, it was last year as well. And far from being what most Calgarians would agree is the worst, it is in fact one of the city’s toniest addresses. “It’s considered to be one of the most prestigious ‘old money’ areas in the city,” says Rachelle Starnes, president and CEO of The Starnes Group of Coldwell Banker Complete Real Estate. “Many famous philanthropists call Bel-Aire their home.” Sandwiched between Elbow Drive and the Glenmore Reservoir, with Mayfair (with which it shares a community association) to the south and the Calgary Golf & Country Club to the north, Bel-Aire is at the outer reaches of what is considered “inner city.” While there are some recreational facilities and small green spaces and access to North Glenmore Park, it ranks about in the middle for these things compared to other areas of the city. However, when we talked to Bel-Aire residents, they told us one of the main attractions was that the neighbourhood doesn’t have the very amenities 40
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our survey asks about, and that are the main draw for so many other areas of the city. Bel-Aire residents are a fiercely loyal group and they pay dearly to live in the neighbourhood. In fact, it has the highest median residential tax assessment of any community in the city. At the time of writing, the lowest-priced property for sale in Bel-Aire was listed at $1,595,000. It is also a very homogenous neighbourhood, not only in the sense that it is completely residential but also that there are no multi-family homes and almost 90 per cent of the homes are owner occupied. The neighbourhood is quiet. There is no cutthrough traffic and very few cars parked on the streets. It also happens to be beautiful, featuring large lots with expensive homes that owners clearly take pride in maintaining. The Starnes Group currently shares top billing for the number of sales of homes in Bel-Aire with a value over $2 million over the last 15 years, and Starnes notes that buyers value the mature landscaping and huge yards.
Bel-Aire does rank in the top half of neighbourhoods in our measure of engagement. “The big draw is the sense of community,” says Doug Lavoie, who has lived in Bel-Aire for 15 years. “It’s a sort of old-style of neighbourhood. There’s a sense that people are looking out for you.” It is clearly a very desirable community for those who live there — but also clearly one that is out of reach for the vast majority of Calgarians. It also isn’t the kind of neighbourhood that you can build a city full of — one with nothing inside of it, but lots within reach of it. Fortunately for Calgarians, while we rank the city’s Best Neighbourhoods, what we’ve found over the past years is that there is a lot to offer in Calgary as a whole and that this is, overall, a great place to live. Because there is so much difference in what Calgarians are looking for in a great neighbourhood, this year we created an online tool where you can rank your own criteria and get your own Best Neighbourhoods results. Visit AvenueCalgary.com to see more. —K.L.
On the crossroads to opportunity Crossfield is your optimum gateway to the dynamic Calgary Metropolitan Region. Just 30 minutes north of Calgary, situation along both Highway 2A and the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline and within sight of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, Crossfield provides superior and efficient access to all major amenities, infrastructure and trading centres. FOR INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS With a vibrant heritage, a strong industrial base, and outstanding transportation and infrastructure, Crossfield’s growth continues to accelerate – come join the excitement! Industry and business in Crossfield enjoy superior access to international markets, an urban work force, and municipal services at affordable prices, plus a business tax-free environment. FOR A PLACE TO CALL HOME Boasting beautiful mountain vistas and surrounding by bright canola fields in summer, new residents to Crossfield are warmly welcomed into our community. A charming small town atmosphere awaits where new residents easily find work opportunities and housing choices free from the congestion of the city. Two elite residential developers (Dream and Creation Communities) provide both quality and value making for outstanding lifestyle and value-for-money opportunity. Crossfield boasts a regional scale Farmer’s Market – a great place to find treasures and great food from vendors all over the region – a weekly chance to get out in the community and meet up with friends and neighbors! Outdoors every Thursday 3:30-7:30 pm through September at the Community Centre. Visit the Christmas Market Saturday November 2 – indoors at the Community Centre.
If you are looking for a new place to do business or to call home, Welcome to Crossfield. crossfieldliving.com | crossfieldalberta.com | 403-946-5565 Social icon
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Whither Beltline
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purred by rapid growth in both human and canine populations, in 2007 the City of Calgary initiated a study of offleash areas. According to census data, between 1995 and 2010 Calgary’s dog population went from 71,884 to just over 122,000. The Off-leash Area Management Plan (presented in February of 2011) analyzed existing off-leash areas, sought input from stakeholders and reviewed best practices in other cities. Recommendations included adding up to 15 new off-leash areas, improving some existing areas and possibly including offleash areas in planning for new communities. Today, the City has 150 public off-leash areas and many have been improved since the plan was created. The new-and-improved off-leash areas delight humans and dogs alike. Dogs help to
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break down barriers between people from every demographic — people sharing tips on dog training will do so with people of any age, profession, gender or income level. New puppy-owners gratefully take tips from others and that cycle carries on from one owner to another, hopefully making for better-trained dogs and people. Dog owners will tell you that off-leash areas get used every day of every year — the odd minus -30 day notwithstanding — and are rarely empty during daylight hours for more than 15 minutes at a time. This high level of use makes them safer for dog owners in the parks, but also for the general public nearby. Though it’s easy to head for the off-leash area closest to home, with 150 to choose from, have a look at the City’s listings and plan to take your dog somewhere new on your next outing. —B.K.
requent readers of Avenue’s Best Neighbourhoods coverage may notice that the Beltline’s ranking has dropped precipitously. Beltline was ranked number one in 2018 and number two in 2017. This year it ranked 32nd. So what happened? The single major change to the survey that toppled the Beltline was how we considered the number of restaurants in the area and close by. This year, as in the past, survey respondents ranked having a high number of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs as being important. However, this characteristic slipped from being the second-most important with a weighting of 12.6, to fourthmost important with a weighting of 10.5. But more significantly, this year we asked if there was an ideal number of restaurants. In other words, are more restaurants always better, or is there a max-imum above which a neighbourhood just has more stuff but isn’t necessarily improving? And according to our survey respondents, a Best Neighbourhood has between eight and 46 restaurants in or close to it. For the Beltline, which has among the best access to restaurants in the city, it simply came down to a case of too much of a good thing. —K.L.
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BY Jennifer Hamilton
The Okotoks Erratic (a.k.a. “Big Rock”) is a geological wonder that has historical significance among the Indigenous peoples of the region.
These five small towns may be close to Calgary, but if you go explore them you’ll find they have amenities, personality and history distinctly their own.
OKOTOKS
HIGH RIVER
BLACK DIAMOND /TURNER VALLEY
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change of scenery and pace is just what you need sometimes to refresh and reinvigorate, but you don’t have to go far to get a break from the daily grind. Consider the verdant beauty of the rolling foothills, sweeping views of the Rockies and the fresh, clear lakes and rivers that surround Calgary and it becomes clear that the break you need may be closer than you think. These five towns are just a short drive from Calgary but feel worlds away from life in the city, making them the perfect escape. Maybe you’ll love one of them so much you’ll be enticed to stay — you wouldn’t be alone in deciding that living in one of these charming small towns is well worth the commute.
TO SEE
O KOT O K S
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hose who live in south Calgary probably already know that Okotoks has a really good Costco with shorter lines. But if that’s all you know, then you’re missing out because Okotoks has much more to recommend it than bigbox shopping. For starters, the picturesque historic downtown is full of browse-worthy boutiques, galleries and restaurants that attract locals and day-trippers alike. Cars happily stop for pedestrians while kids ride around on bikes, seemingly unsupervised and joggers dot the pathways adjacent to the Sheep River, which runs through the centre of town. With all this idyllic small-town charm, plus proximity to big-city amenities, it’s no wonder the population of Okotoks is growing.
Photography by Jennifer Hamilton; Okotoks Dawgs photograph courtesy of the Okotoks Dawgs; Kayben Farms photograph by of hannatverdokhlib
TO EAT AND DRINK For fine French food in a unique setting, look no further than Bistro Provence 1882, housed in what was originally the Sheep Creek Post Office, which was built in 1882. The unique building has been carefully preserved and restored, complementing the food, which is carefully prepared and presented. The restaurant only seats 40 for dinner (and just 20 for lunch) so reservations are a must. 52 North Railway St., Okotoks, 403-938-2224, bistro1882.com
Set in a 1902 Baptist Church, Heartland Cafe & Restaurant is extremely popular as much for its homestyle cooking as for its genteel decor, which could be called “rich great-aunt parlourchic.” The patio is lovely as well, and affords a nice view of Olde Towne’s comings and goings. 46 McRae St., Okotoks, 403-995-4623, heartlandcafe.ca
Okotoks’ first microbrewery, Hubtown Brewing Co. is in the Boot Hill Gallery Building in Olde Towne. You can enjoy Hubtown brews in the taproom and on the rooftop patio. If you get hungry, owners Mark and Lisa Watts encourage patrons to order delivery from any local restaurant. 41 Elizabeth St., Okotoks, hubtownbrewing.com
The life of bees are not a secret at Chinook Honey Company & Arch Meadery, where you can learn all about honeybees and even suit up as a beekeeper and work with one of the hives. Sample different kinds of mead (the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world) and browse in the shop for honey, beeswax candles, body care products and more. 386079 16 St. W., Okotoks, 403-995-0830, chinookhoney.com
TO DO
Tribal Connection Market is a quirky boho business that’s equal parts coffee shop, new-age market and live performance venue. Pop in for a smoothie or a light lunch and browse the jewellery, imported crafts and books. Fridays are open-mic night where you might see poets, rappers or comedians, while local and touring musicians perform there on Saturdays. 41 McRae St., Okotoks, 403-995-1898
Seaman Stadium, home to the Okotoks Dawgs baseball club, is a fun, friendly and affordable place for fans and families to catch a ball game on a sunny summer evening. The stadium is so picturesque it was used as the baseball field for a scene in the film Interstellar. The grassy berm area along the thirdbase side is especially popular with kids, and the hot dogs are delicious. Games often sell out, so plan ahead. 256 Don Seaman Way, Okotoks, 403-262-3294, dawgsbaseball.ca
The Okotoks “Big Rock” Erratic is a geological wonder. Made of quartzite, the glacial erratic measures about nine metres high, 41 m long and 18 m wide (roughly the size of a three-storey apartment building). The people of the Blackfoot First Nation used Big Rock as a landmark for finding a crossing over the Sheep River (which flows through Okotoks) long before European settlement. Learn more about the geological history of the rock and the surrounding area on the informative signage at the well-maintained site. 10 km southwest of Okotoks on Hwy 7
Kayben Farms Sunshine Adventure Park is a smorgasbord of family fun with play areas and structures, walking trails, a seasonal corn maze, firepits and picnic tables and plenty of cute animals to interact with. There’s also a U-pick for blackcurrants (until Aug. 26) and an on-site restaurant, Jojo’s Café. 316034 32 St. E., Okotoks, 403-995-5509, kayben.com Okotoks’ annual Show n’ Shine happens this year on Aug. 18. Each year more than 10,000 spectators fill the streets of Olde Towne to view more than 500 unique cars, trucks and motorcycles. You’ll also find live music, a beer garden and lots of food vendors at this popular gathering. okotoksshowandshine.ca AvenueCalgary.com
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TO DO
Happy Trails Pathways is a 19-km paved pedestrian and cycling trail system that winds through the town, along the river and through the many parks and green spaces in High River. It’s the perfect way to explore all the corners of the town and experience its charm at a leisurely pace.
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ix years have passed since the Great Alberta Flood of 2013 devastated the town of High River, destroying hundreds of homes and wiping out entire neighbourhoods. But in the words of Friedrich Nietzsche and Kelly Clarkson, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and this is certainly the case in High River. The town has invested $200 million in flood mitigation and has also made major improvements, including building wide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, green spaces and parks. As the physical infrastructure of the town has been shored up, so has the resiliency and community spirit of the people who live there, a testament to the tenacity of the people who call High River home and a draw for anyone who visits.
TO EAT AND DRINK
If you love trains then you’ll love The Whistle Stop Cafe, an authentic railway dining car that serves casually elegant homestyle meals at breakfast and lunch and set-course menus on Friday evenings. 408 1 St. S.W., High River, 403-652-7026, whistlestoptrain.ca
TO SEE
Maggie’s Diner is a set from the TV show Heartland, which films in High River.
Located outdoors in High River’s pedestrian-friendly downtown, the farmers’ market runs Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. until Sept. 12. There are more than 50 local and regional vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, fudge, smoked meats, jewellery and craft items, plus food trucks to feed you on-site. 4th Avenue and 1st Street S.W., High River, 403-603-3232, highriverfarmersmarket.com
Shop for sweet treats at Sheena’s Sweets & Such, which is chock full of interesting and classic candy. There are even tiny shopping carts for kids browsing the sugary aisles. 124 4 Ave. S.W., High River, 403-601-1287
The popular CBC TV series Heartland is filmed from May to early December in High River and other locations around Calgary. If you’re a fan, check out the Maggie's Diner set, then head to the Museum of the Highwood and ask at the visitor information centre where and when the show might be filming so you can catch a glimpse of your favourite stars, or set off on a selfguided tour and look for settings you recognize. There’s also a Heartland exhibit in the museum, as well as props from other movies filmed nearby, including The Revenant, Unforgiven and the Fargo TV series. The 7th Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival comes to High River Sept. 25 to 29, 2019, and promises to be a visual extravaganza, featuring 25 balloons from Canada, U.S.A., the UK and Belgium. At the Night Glow event on the Friday evening, the balloons are inflated and lit up in the half-hour before sunset (weather permitting), creating the impression of huge, colourful lightbulbs dotting the launch area. 1104 11 Ave. S.E., High River
Photography by Jennifer Hamilton
Evelyn’s Memory Lane Cafe is best known for its hearty sandwiches, made on homemade multigrain bread, with fillings like “Hutterite chicken with fixings.” The fresh homemade pies here are in themselves worth the drive from the city. 118 4 Ave. S.W., High River, 403-652-1887, mlcafe.ca
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BLA CK D I A M O N D /T UR N E R VA L L EY
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ucked into the foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the sister towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley are just four kilometres apart on Highway 22 (a.k.a. the Cowboy Trail). The area has a proud history of coal mining, oil and gas production and ranching, and that is palpable whether you’re perusing the shops, galleries and restaurants in the well-preserved heritage buildings or gazing out at the pristine rolling ranchlands surrounding what’s been fondly dubbed “Diamond Valley.”
Whether you’re shopping or just browsing, Bluerock Gallery represents a wide spectrum of art forms (and prices), including paintings, ceramics, glass, jewellery, books and fabric art by almost 200 regional artists. There’s nothing cold or stark about this gallery. The Bluerock is curated and designed to capture the spirit of the local culture, which includes browsing at an unhurried pace. 110 Centre Ave. W., Black Diamond, 403-933-5047, bluerockgallery.ca
This coal car (above) represents Black Diamond’s mining history. Volunteers restored it and dedicated it to the town in 2004, the year Black Diamond celebrated its 75th anniversary of incorporation.
TO EAT AND DRINK No trip to Black Diamond/Turner Valley is complete without a stop at the Chuckwagon Cafe & Cattle Co. This mainstay is as homey as homey gets. Set in a cute red barn, the Chuckwagon serves all-day breakfast and just over half of the beef used by the restaurant comes from owner Terry Myhre’s own ranch. At the very least, pop in for some to-die-for fries (you know you want ’em). 105 Sunset Blvd. N.W., Turner Valley, 403-933-0003 Marv’s Classic Soda Shop is a must for the milkshake-loving crowd and/or anyone who likes their classic diner fare to come with a generous helping of 1950s bric-a-brac. Owner Marvin Garriott looks perfectly the part and is the self-proclaimed inventor of carbonated ice cream, which he makes along with other old-timey treats. 121 Centre Ave. W., Black Diamond, 403-933-7001, marvsclassicsodashop.com The Westwood, which recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, serves modern pub food; standout dishes include deep-fried avocado bites and hearty burgers made with local lamb, bison and beef. The Westwood also features live music throughout the week and boasts a sunny south-facing patio — the perfect place to linger over Sunday brunch. 115 Government Rd., Black Diamond, 403-933-3002, thewestwood.ca
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Alberta is currently experiencing a distillery boom and Eau Claire Distillery is the first — and arguably the best — of the independent craft distilleries. Housed in a 1929 movie theatre, Eau Claire offers distillery tours, tastings (including a flight called the Seven Deadly Gins) and cocktail-mixing classes. It also offers superb craft cocktails and a small but mighty food menu. 113 Sunset Blvd. N.W., Turner Valley, 403-933-5408 eauclairedistillery.ca The Turner Valley Gas Plant is the site of western Canada’s first commercial oilfield and processing plant, and is considered the birthplace of Alberta’s petroleum industry. The Provincial and National Historic Site operates tours on weekends until Sept. 2, or on weekdays by special request (for safety, you must wear closed-toe shoes during the tours). The historic buildings and the plant make for great photographs and insight into the history of Alberta’s natural resources. Sunset Blvd. S.E., Turner Valley, 403-933-6243, turnervalleygasplant.ca
TO DO If gentle hiking is your thing, take a walk along the three-km paved Friendship Trail linking Black Diamond and Turner Valley. The trail passes several scenic viewpoints and interesting rock formations. It’s also open to cyclists and makes for a fun family ride.
Sheep River Falls, just over 35 km west of Turner Valley, may be the prettiest falls near Calgary. Accessible via a short, easy path starting at Sheep River Falls day area, the area is rarely crowded and is perfect for picnicking. The Sheep River itself offers excellent fly fishing for trout, especially big bull trout and fun-tocatch mountain whitefish. Finding a good fishing spot may require some bushwhacking but it’ll be worth it to fish in this pristine, relatively uninhabited area.
Photography by Jennifer Hamilton; Sheep River Falls photograph by Andy Bowlin/iStock
TO SEE
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TO SEE
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ochrane is a very popular destination for road cyclists looking to get their hearts and legs pounding. It takes about five hours to ride there and back, but you’ll be forgiven if you decide to drive there in about half an hour from downtown instead. Despite its proximity to Calgary, Cochrane feels worlds away, with its relaxed pace, wellmaintained historic buildings and committed coffee culture. It’s popular with young families looking for small-town life and offers a bustling main street, a good variety of restaurants and sweeping views of the Rockies — with a reasonable commute to Calgary if work or errands require it.
Fence & Post photograph by Jared Sych; Historic Cochrane Ranche photograph by Tim Hall; Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary photograph courtesy of Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary; Capture the Flag photograph courtesy of Capture the Flag Paintball & Airsoft
COC H R A N E
The Cochrane Street Market takes place in the heart of downtown every third Thursday evening from June to September and includes market vendors, artisans, food trucks, music, entertainment and late-night shopping. If you miss it, you can still embrace the farmers’ market concept Saturdays until Sept. 28 at the Historic Cochrane Ranche, where local producers sell a variety of locally grown and locally made products. 1st Street W. between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue, Cochrane
TO EAT AND DRINK Fence & Post restaurant follows the farm-to-table philosophy, changing up its menu of contemporary Canadian cuisine often to include seasonal ingredients. The country-kitchen decor complements the approachable brunch, lunch and dinner menus. 214 1 St. W., Cochrane, 403-981-7678, fenceandpost.ca The Gentry Espresso & Wine Bar uses coffee beans from independent specialty roasters. In addition to espresso drinks you can get coffee brewed with aficionado processes such as chemex and aeropress. The Gentry also hosts live music and serves tapas on performance nights and for other special events. 312 5th Ave. W., Cochrane, 403-932-6240, thegentrycoffee.com No trip to Cochrane is complete without visiting MacKay’s Ice Cream. This local institution dates back to 1948, when the former general store began serving ice cream. The current incarnation retains that old-timey vibe. Choose from almost 50 flavours, including haskap berry, made with locally grown berries from the honeysuckle family. 220 1 St. W., Cochrane, 403-932-2455, mackaysicecream.com 50
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Historic Cochrane Ranche is the site of Alberta’s first large-scale cattle ranch, which operated between 1881 and 1888. It’s now a huge public park space with biking and walking trails, firepits and picnic tables. The Ranche also encompasses historic Westerson Cabin and the Cochrane Historical Museum. 101 Ranchehouse Road, Cochrane, 403-851-2535 The 160-acre Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary shelters and facilitates adoptions for wolf-dogs (caninelupine crossbreeds) and educates the public through interpretive tours. There are super-cute rescue goats there, as well. 263156 Range Rd. 53, Cochrane, 587-8909653, yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com
TO DO
Capture the Flag Paintball & Airsoft offers a range of outdoor survivalist-type adventures, including paintball, airsoft, archery and target-shooting. There are options for people of most ages and abilities, making for great family fun, parties and team-building exercises. Capture the Flag is open year-round and pre-booking is a must. 72032 N., Range Rd. 40, 403-932-9510, capturetheflag.com Zero Gravity Skatepark is one of the largest of its kind in southern Alberta — a 427-square-metre concrete plaza emblazoned with graffiti-style art, overlooking the river valley. The park attracts riders young and old and is open yearround for bikes and skateboards. Intersection of West Rock Road and Highway 22, Cochrane
Indroducing
THE NEW
MAIN FLOOR
NEW CAFÉ & WINE BAR NEW GRAB & GO MARKET NEW DELI SALUMI & FORMAGGI
NEW BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENU
UPSTAIRS
SAME GREAT RESTAURANT
Open
EARLY AUGUST 1012 17 ave SW // cibocalgary.com AvenueCalgary.com
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C R OSSFIE LD
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rossfield may not toot its tourism horn as enthusiastically as some of Calgary’s other neighbouring towns, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to love about it — especially for the approximately 3,000 people who live there. It has a closeknit vibe that is palpable as you watch kids at play at the splash park, browse in the historic public library or party at Pete Knight Days’ Demolition Derby, which goes off in early June. Residents describe it as a place where you not only know your neighbours but have relationships with them, as well. Located approximately 20 kilometres north of Airdrie on Highway 2A, Crossfield has all the advantages of being close to major centres when you want your big-city fix, while remaining a laid-back, family-friendly community with plenty of amenities to keep you and the kids entertained.
CELEBRATE ALBERTA MAKERS ON
FOR THE FIRST EVER MADE IN ALBERTA
MARKET
ENJOY GARDEN
Just about every small town across the country has a Chinese-Canadian restaurant, and Crossfield is no different with Enjoy Garden. This little gem serves up all the usual Chinese dishes, but the real reason to visit is for the cheeseburgers, which are made by hand and served with all the friendliness you’d expect from a small-town mom-and-pop shop. 1208 Railway St., Crossfield, 403-946-5000
Winners will be announced September 1st at madeinalbertaawards.ca and in Avenue magazine.
FARMERS’ MARKET
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
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Anglers can test their luck at the popular Crossfield fish ponds, which are stocked with rainbow trout. With its grassy shores, it’s a great area to teach kids how to fish, or even just lay out a picnic. The daily limit is five, and licenses are required for fishers over age 16. West end of Range Road 12 and Laut Avenue, Crossfield
LIBRARY
AT SOUTHCENTRE
For more details about the market, visit madeinalbertaawards.ca
FISHING
What’s better than a farmers’ market? A farmers’ market with rotating beer vendors! Treat yourself to a cold craft brew from local brewers like Airdrie’s Fitzsimmons Brewing Company and stock up on local produce while your kids learn about local food through the weekly Market Buds program. There are also games such as giant Jenga, buskers to enhance the atmosphere and food trucks to feed everyone. The market runs every Thursday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. until the end of September at the Crossfield and District Community Centre parking lot. 900 Mountain Ave., Crossfield, 403-464-8171
The Crossfield Municipal Library moved into its “new” location in 2017 after renovations to the historic Oliver Hotel and Bar were completed. In addition to providing the usual library functions like lending books, the library hosts various community events such as game nights, career consultations and resumé writing. 1210 Railway St., Crossfield, 403946-4231, crossfieldlibrary.ca
SPLASH PARK
On a hot summer day, there are few better places to take the kids than to a splash park, where they can cool off while burning off some energy. Crossfield’s popular splash park is located in Banta Park, which also has recently renovated basketball and tennis courts that can also be used for the hottest sport around — pickleball! Corner of Railway Street and Limit Avenue, Crossfield
Fish photograph by cbarnesphotography; waterpark photograph by Imgorthand
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2019
PRESENTATION CENTRE
RETAIL STREET
NOW OPEN
RESTAURANT 2
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VILLAGE CENTRE 9
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MAHOGANY LAKE
Words and pictures can’t describe speechless.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF. TOUR OUR VILLAGE CENTRE AND 22 SHOW SUITES
Calgary’s first resort-style, lakefront community.
188 Mahogany Gardens SE Mon-Thurs: 2pm-8pm Sat, Sun & Holidays: Noon-5pm Fri: Closed
40,000-square foot Village Centre with over 100 amenities, and exclusive dining options including HQ Restaurant and
Please call 587-350-0237 to book your tour.
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the now open Chairman’s Steakhouse.
*Price subject to change without notice. See Presentation Centre for exact details. E&OE.
Living options for all budgets and lifestyles. Where will you call home?
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$3,7855 3
BY Marcello Di Cintio ILLUSTRATIONS BY Emily Press
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THE TWO-TIER FOOD SYSTEM Local, sustainable farming and ranching has been touted as a more “ethical” way of eating, but it creates an alternative system that, while better for the environment, is out of reach for the vast majority of Calgarians. Can we eat well and eat right while supporting not only farmers but also all Calgarians?
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ris Vester’s parents started their family farm on a quarter section of land west of Carstairs in 1977. His mother was from Germany, his father from Denmark, and Kris is the sixth of their eight children. “We were the little army of farm labourers,” Vester said. He left the farm after high school to pursue a career in academia, but returned in 1998 with his wife Tamara. In 2012, they took over the farm and renamed it Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farms. Blue Mountain now produces 120 varieties of organic vegetables, cereals and herbs, and also raises chickens and hogs. The fields were bare when I visited last January, but the Vesters’ pigs were dozing in their pens snorting tiny clouds into the chill morning. During the summer, the Vesters’ hogs graze on prairie grasses and seedless crops. This adheres to their nature. “A pig digs just like a chicken scratches and a cow grazes on grass,” Vester said. The happy hogs
of Blue Mountain reflect the Vesters’ overall philosophy toward food production, and the ethics of many such small-scale farmers, who strive to provide local consumers with what Vester calls “good, clean, fair food.” We should all eat this way: locally grown, humanely raised and sustainably produced food is better for the health of our bodies and our planet than food from feedlots and factory farms. More and more Calgarians avoid the big-box grocers to champion producers whose world view more closely adheres with their own. They crowd Calgary’s farmers’ markets, purchase food from smallscale farms and ranches and buy shares in community-supported agriculture programs, all to help build and sustain an ethical local food system. But this system is not as ethical as well-meaning shoppers might believe. Such ethical food remains inaccessible to many Calgarians, especially those with lower incomes. The farmers’ markets’ regular patrons might not see the high barriers standing between Calgary’s poor and those fresh-vegetable stalls, but that inaccessibility is in itself, unethical.
Ethical food remains inaccessible to many Calgarians, especially those with lower incomes... That inaccessibility is in itself, unethical. Obtaining any food at all can be a struggle for the truly downtrodden. Often the programs designed to help people access food come up short in volume, let alone in considerations of the ethics of the food’s origins. Rebecca Sandberg knows this more than anyone. She holds certificates in Food Security and Sustainability Management from Ryerson University. She is also a single parent of three small children. “I have both book smarts and street smarts,” she joked. Sandberg believes many Albertans misunderstand the nature of poverty. “Most people who are middle class, and who work hard, have this idea that people who are low income are lazy,” she said. Sandberg sees that mentality influencing not only attitudes, but public policy as well. For example, the Alberta government AvenueCalgary.com
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The problem isn’t that local food is “expensive,” but that cheaper food can be found elsewhere. The factory farms that stock the meat counters and produce sections at big supermarkets don’t share the small-farm ideal of staying small.
publishes a table of the average cost for healthy food in the city of Edmonton. According to the November 2018 table, the weekly “nutritious food basket” for a family of four is $225.91, or a little more than $900 a month. However, Alberta’s income-support programs will provide that same family with total monthly benefits of around $1,600 if they’re working, or $1,759 if they have barriers to work — either way, not nearly enough to buy $900 worth of food, in addition to other necessary expenses. For these families, paying for rent and heat means not buying nutritious food, let alone paying the premium often charged for sustainably produced local food. “The government has outsourced the problem to the food banks,” Sandberg said. Last fiscal year, the Calgary Food Bank helped more than 180,000 people and distributed more than 66,000 emergency food hampers. “They do really, really good work,” Sandberg said, but access to the Calgary Food Bank can be problematic. “Lots of people assume if you can’t eat, you can go to the food bank and they’ll give you food. Well, that’s not the case.” The Calgary Food Bank provides users with up to seven emergency food hampers each year, and only three without a referral from a community agency. Each hamper is designed to last for seven-to-10 days so, at best, the food bank provides only 10 weeks worth of food per year. Calgary Food Bank users won’t find much “ethical” food in their hampers, either. Food banks and other charity-driven providers rely primarily on grants and donations, mostly of non-perishable canned and processed items, many of which are nutritionally poor. In fairness, food banks strive to feed the most people possible with limited public funds and donations. This means sourcing cheaper food. But few Calgarians need good, clean, fair food more than those who are struggling. Food assistance can also come at a cost to personal dignity. In order to get help from charities such as food banks and soup kitchens, low-income people must line up and expose themselves to the stigma of being poor, then take what the relatively wealthy have cast onto a donation pile. In this system, poor people must eat what richer people don’t want. Sandberg, who volunteers delivering food bank hampers, said the perishable food is often already nearly perished. Cultural issues are also sometimes ignored. “I’ll have weeks where I’m literally dropping off a bag of random pork to a Muslim family,” she said. “‘Here is your bacon and your sausage and your ham. Have a good day.’ I feel like it is insulting.” Sandberg knows many Albertans don’t believe the poor deserve any better than almost-expired yogurt and forbidden pork and beans. They should be happy for the handouts — beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying goes. “This is the opposite of social justice,” she said. 56
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Price remains the highest barrier to choosing ethical food, even for those who don’t rely on the food bank. Locally grown, sustainable food costs far more than conventional food. But according to Kelly Hodgins, who has a background as a food systems researcher and used to work as a farmer on the Sunshine Coast, ethical food is not overpriced or marked up. The price of local food reflects the true cost of small-scale labour-intensive farming, not a higher profit margin. The price of a tomato at a farmers’ market stall likely reflects the actual cost of growing that tomato. Farmers like Kris Vester, who calls himself a “proud, peasant farmer,” make philosophical decisions about their production that often actually lowers their profits. “They have chosen to go against the conventional market forces that would tell them to get bigger. To buy up their neighbours. To get more automated,” Hodgins said. “Farmers are not jacking up prices to pour more money in the bank so that they can build their kids a swimming pool and build a mansion. This is not the face of a farmer.” The problem, then, isn’t that local food is “expensive” but that cheaper food can be found elsewhere. The sort of conventional automated factory farms that stock the meat counters and produce sections at big supermarkets don’t share the small-farm ideal of staying small. Their pigs don’t dig. But raising sows in giant barns on slat floors is cheaper, just as synthetically fertilized crops grow faster than organic. Those large-scale food corporations can afford to sell their products at a lower cost.
All of this leads to a system where poor farmers grow food for rich people, while rich farmers make food for the poor. But price is not the only obstacle to ethical eating. “Anyone can get a bag of lentils,” Hodgins said. “Kale and onions are pretty cheap.” Many people simply don’t have the time to cook healthy meals from raw ingredients. A working single parent is more likely to make Kraft Dinner out of a box than craft a dinner out of a bag of market vegetables. And while the City of Calgary’s “Calgary Eats!” action plan helps enable citizens to grow their own food — either on their own property or in one of Calgary’s 169 community gardens — Calgarians without the time to cook likely don’t have the time to garden. Many do not have the knowledge to do so either. In the 1980s, Sandberg’s stay-at-home mother prepared healthy meals from scratch every night. “We never ate out of boxes,” she said. But Sandberg’s mother spent half her day on food preparation and came from a generation that learned how to cook. This is no longer the norm. As more women joined the work force, the demand for processed and packaged food increased. “Then it flipped,” Sandberg said. “We became reliant on the processed, packaged food because we don’t know how to cook anymore.” Gardening skills diminished, too, as people lost the time and space to plant their own food. Of course, these deficiencies are not exclusive to lower-income Calgarians. A wealthy business owner may just as easily be useless
in the kitchen, and a busy lawyer might not have the time to garden. But those in a higher wealth bracket can often obscure their lack of time and food knowledge. They can eat in the kinds of restaurants that use local ingredients. They can take out and order in. They can subscribe to meal-kit services like Rooted or HelloFresh. In several Calgary neighbourhoods, there is nowhere nearby to buy fresh food at all. Sandberg has identified 26 “food deserts” — areas with limited access to healthy, fresh and affordable food and grocery stores. And although the chain grocers increasingly carry some organic and local foods, sustainably grown local food is often even harder to attain. The city’s two large year-round farmer’s markets, Calgary Farmers’ Market and Crossroads Market, are difficult to reach for anyone without their own vehicle. Only two bus lines bring shoppers to Crossroads, and the one bus that serves the Calgary Farmers’ Market does not run on the weekend. “They have organic, and they have sustainable, and they have local, and they have blah, blah, blah,” Sandberg said. “They have all those things, but getting there is crazy. That’s an hour of your day that usually you spend cooking or working your two jobs.” People with mobility issues may request rides from Calgary Transit Access, but the service allows only two shopping bags per rider — hardly enough for a family grocery run. There are Calgary agencies and social justice groups that work to fill the structural gaps in the food system and bring down the barriers to access to local, sustainable and organic food. One Monday last December, I watched as volunteers with the Fresh Routes’ Mobile Food Market loaded plastic crates of food onto tables at The Alex Community Food Centre in Forest Lawn. Boxes of yams, potatoes, apples and kale. Banana bunches and bags of sliced bread. Dozens of eggs and tiny tomatoes in Ziploc bags. Once they brought in all the food, the volunteers fixed price cards to the crates with metal clips, while a kid who couldn’t have been more than 13 years old set up a table with a cash box and a roll of plastic shopping bags. Fresh Routes (formerly the Community Mobile Food Market) aims to increase access to fresh, healthy and budget-friendly food, especially to residents in Calgary’s food deserts. It operates regular pop-up markets in 10 Calgary communities in locations like Village Square Leisure Centre, seniors’ housing facilities in Bridgeland and East Village, and the Sunalta CTrain station. Fresh Routes buys most of its products from a local wholesaler and sells them at prices below those of the big-box retailers. The nimble mobility of the market, and the service of the volunteers, allows Fresh Routes to keep its prices low. In addition to affordability and accessibility, Fresh Routes provides a level of dignity to its customers. “We don’t want our clients to feel they are using a social service,” said Roxanne Pham, Fresh Routes’ former market lead. Anyone can buy from Fresh Routes, not just those carrying referrals declaring they are poor enough to shop there. The produce on offer is fresh and unbruised, not donated waste. Rather than lining up for a hamper, Fresh Routes’ customers can sniff the tomatoes and thump the melons just as at any farmer’s market. Fresh Routes also prices items by unit rather than weight so that people who need — or can only afford — a single orange or a couple of tomatoes don’t feel any pressure to buy a bagful. AvenueCalgary.com
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The sense of belonging extended from the mobile market tables to the dining room of The Alex itself. The centre hosts the Fresh Routes’ mobile market on the same night as their weekly community dinner. When I visited last winter, around 50 neighbourhood diners filled the dining room — some single men, some families, all bulky in their heavy coats. There was no lining up at a stainless-steel counter. No hairnetted staff scooping stew onto a Styrofoam plate. As soon as The Alex’s guests sat down, servers brought them the night’s offering: meatloaf with butternut squash and a spinach-orange salad, all elegantly composed on a real plate with real silverware. Servers returned to clear away the dirty dishes when the meals were done. A donation jar stood at the front of the dining room, but nobody was obliged to contribute. In addition to the Monday night dinners, The Alex serves lunch on Wednesdays and a Friday morning breakfast. Approximately 100 diners on average show up to each meal, though numbers fluctuate throughout the month. They serve fewer people when income support cheques are delivered and more when rent is due. Many of the diners know each other. I eavesdropped on their card games and their holiday plans. For Joanna Tschudy, The Alex’s garden skills coordinator, such community-building is key. “You come in, and there is a level of ownership,” Tschudy said. “You grab a cup of coffee or tea on your own. But then you grab a seat. Start a conversation. Meet new people or sit with friends.” These meals provide a balm for those who are struggling, either financially or emotionally. “The meals help with the social isolation people might be facing,” Tschudy said. “It has a huge impact. Just sharing a meal together is massive.” The Alex sources most of the ingredients for these meals, and for the other programs the centre runs, from the Calgary Food Bank. But The Alex has also fostered relationships with local food suppliers. Poplar Bluff Organics supplies the kitchen with donated potatoes, carrots, parsnips and garlic. The Alberta Hunters Sharing the Harvest Association provides The Alex with wild deer, elk and moose meat donated by local hunters and processed by an Alberta Health Services-approved butcher. The Alex’s most inspiring donor is Mohamed ElDaher, a refugee who fled the Syrian Civil War with his family in 2016. As soon as they arrived in Calgary, Mohamed plowed under his backyard in Ranchlands to plant vegetables. A local entrepreneur gave ElDaher five acres of land to farm near the airport. Now ElDaher rents 11 acres of farmland and operates four greenhouses where he grows a diverse variety of vegetables, from familiar beans and lettuce, to the sort of green chickpeas, Arabic cucumbers and fava beans his family ate in Syria. ElDaher gives away the bulk of what he produces. Last year, he donated spinach, beans, peas and green onions to The Alex along with hundreds of tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings for The Alex’s gardening programs. Once he builds his fifth greenhouse, he plans on giving more. ElDaher also sells his produce directly from his farm as a “pick-your-own” operation. No doubt he deserves our business. So do the Vesters and other local farmers who opt to grow locally and sustainably. “We need to support those guys,” Hodgins said. “At the farmers’ market you are paying to support the local 58
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community. You are paying to support the environment. You are voting with your dollar for a healthier planet.” At the same time, Hodgins warns against vilifying the conventional food system. “When we are facing these huge issues of climate change and feeding 10 billion people by 2050, we’re in dangerous territory if we’re trying to advance this alternative niche food system as the one solution, because it can’t be,” Hodgins said. “We cannot, through this system, feed the entire world.” Perhaps we need a more realistic approach to food security, locally and globally. “Rather than trying to fix our ‘broken’ conventional food system by creating a brand new one, why not fix what’s broken with the conventional food system?” Hodgins said. “Let’s identify what those things are that are making people turn away and want to get or grow food in a different way. Then fix them instead of creating a new system that is not accessible to everyone.” The problems are easier to identify than solve, of course. Maybe governments should mandate that industrial farmers account for the widespread consequences of their production. If giant feedlots had to clean the water they contaminate with manure run-off, say, they might employ more environmentally sensitive and ethical production methods. Perhaps sustainable farmers should be designated essential workers and granted a guaranteed income. Maybe poorer Calgarians need more reliable access to charity food providers and higher income support. For her part, Sandberg hopes to open non-profit community food hubs in Calgary’s food deserts that offer members free donated fresh produce, low-priced staple foods and access to a fully equipped community kitchen.
“When we are facing these huge issues of climate change and feeding 10 billion people by 2050, we’re in dangerous territory if we’re trying to advance this alternative niche food system as the one solution, because it can’t be.” —Kelly Hodgins, food systems researcher and ex-farmer In the meantime, Calgarians need to consider the barriers surrounding access to sustainable and local food and to making a truly ethical food system. Those who have the privilege of shopping at farmers’ markets need not sneer at those who, for a number of reasons, don’t. Being tone-deaf to the realities of access that are structurally imposed on people is unfair. Even Kris Vester buys milk and cheese at Costco during harvest season when he has a crew of farmhands to feed. He understands the challenges many Calgarians face when trying to feed themselves. “Those people putting themselves forward as ‘woke’ could show some compassion,” Vester said. “If you are already feeling like you are barely getting by, why wouldn’t you choose the cheapest food? You have to. Especially if you have children. We could all use a little more compassion in this world.”
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OPINION BY Colleen Seto PHOTOGRAPH BY Jager&Kokemor
We Need to Talk About Racism Addressing the problem means talking about the problem, and that means not shutting down uncomfortable conversations.
T
he first time a stranger assumed I was my daughter’s nanny, I was taken aback, but I brushed it off as an honest mistake. Then it happened again. And again. And again. I’m Chinese and my husband is Irish-Ukrainian. Our daughter is a mix of these three ethnicities and, apparently, doesn’t look obviously Asian. The message I was getting was that when a white-looking child is with an Asian woman she must be a nanny. This was really annoying for a lot of reasons. But even more annoying was that when I politely corrected these white folks, they were the ones who felt slighted. They thought I was the one being rude for pointing out their racist assumption, because, well, I pointed out that they make racist assumptions. Most white people don’t want to talk about racism. When I tell white friends and colleagues about these experiences, regardless if they respond with disbelief, horror or try to “whitesplain” it away (“they must not have really looked at your daughter”), the conversations tend to end quickly and uncomfortably. Even my husband doesn’t want to talk about racism. He dismisses it as people being stupid or denies that racism still exists. If I ask why he doesn’t call out racism since he’s in a better position to do so than I am, he gets defensive. He thinks that he’s not racist, and therefore his job is done — he doesn’t need to engage others on the topic. But we really need to talk about racism. All of us. American social justice educator Robin DiAngelo coined the term “white fragility” to describe these typically defensive responses to discussing racism. DiAngelo, who is white, says white people are insulated from having to face issues of race every day like people of colour do, and so they lack the skills and knowledge to deal with it. Because of that, when
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the topic of racism comes up, they react badly — often by shutting down the conversation. No one wants to admit that they hold racism in place. But by stopping us from talking about racial inequality, that’s exactly what white fragility does. It makes the social costs of pointing out discrimination so high that many people of colour simply won’t do it. We don’t want to argue with you, absolve your guilt or convince you that racism still happens, especially if you’re the one being racist. It doesn’t help that racist barbs are often small. It’s easy to object to the bombing of a mosque or a white supremacist rally, but when the attack is subtle, it’s a lot trickier. A word here. A look there. Seemingly insignificant digs — “where are you from, originally?” “your English is really good,” “you’re Japanese? Filipino? Oh Chinese, well it’s all the same,” — are soul death by a thousand microaggressions. You might think, “that’s not racism” because many of these slights are unintentional: the person didn’t mean to be racist. But racism is rarely a planned malicious act with the intent to “be racist.” Racism is a system where white people benefit without actually thinking about or having to do anything to take power, space and authority from people of colour. These small acts reveal an underlying, perhaps subconscious, belief that white people are the standard by which all races should be measured. When you assume that people who don’t look white must be from a foreign place, or must not speak English, or that since you don’t know the difference between inhabitants of various Asian nations their differences don’t matter, that’s racism. You shouldn’t just not mean to be racist. You should mean to not be racist. We teach our children that if you hurt someone’s feelings, you apologize, you try to understand why
“WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN THAT IF YOU HURT SOMEONE’S FEELINGS, YOU APOLOGIZE, YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY’RE UPSET AND YOU TRY NOT TO DO IT AGAIN. WE DON’T TEACH THEM TO RESPOND BY GETTING OFFENDED.”
they’re upset and then you try to not do it again. We don’t teach them to respond by getting offended and telling the other person they’re too sensitive, can’t take a joke or that they’re just wrong. And yet, in my experience that is what usually happens when a person of colour tries to tell a white person that their racist behaviour is hurtful. And it’s not just hurt feelings either; it’s deep-seated discrimination that forcefully diminishes many aspects of our lives.
This isn’t about being politically correct. It’s about being a decent human being. So, please, just hear me out. Be empathetic. Listen. Like really listen with an open mind and an open heart. Have uncomfortable conversations with people of colour so that, together, we can make it more comfortable for all of us. Because my comfort matters as much as yours. And so does my worth.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Writer Colleen Seto with her family, Levi Podperyhora, Annabel Podperyhora, and Jason Poderyhora.
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CONNECT WITH US
FOOD & DRINK BY Colin Gallant PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jared Sych
A The Art
of Dining Where to eat and drink while taking in local artwork.
Sarah Slaughter in front of the mural she painted at the Dandelion, a collaboratively run restaurant and art space in Ramsay.
n artful plate is great, but the best dining experiences stimulate senses other than just taste. Whether it’s the aural effect of well-chosen music, cozy furniture and well-balanced cutlery hitting your tactile receptors or something visually enticing to offer a feast for the eyes, a restaurant can go from good to great when there’s more to focus on than just what comes out of the kitchen. Calgary isn’t short on gorgeous and creative interiors designed by professional firms, but this selection of restaurants goes beyond decor to showcase the talents of working artists in the city. AvenueCalgary.com
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The artwork inside The Dandelion changes up regularly.
THE DANDELION
The Dandelion in Ramsay isn’t so much a café as it is a postcapitalist utopia that happens to serve breakfast, brunch and lunch. The collaboratively run space has a minimal-waste, plant-based restaurant on its main level and an art studio/ event space/gallery on the second floor. Dandelion is operated by a collective of both artists and food people. The first thing you’ll notice upon arrival is a massive exterior mural depicting a woman’s face by operating partner and artistic director Sarah Slaughter. Inside, both the restaurant space and upper level (open to the public on select dates) are covered in local artwork, most of which is for sale. Keep your eye out for when Fry Bread Friday (when the restaurant stays open into the evening and serves bannock) coincides with an exhibition launch — you’ll leave with your belly as full as your heart. 1048 8 St. S.E., 403-475-3426, thedandelionyyc.ca 64
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Crispy octopus and a “pear-ly know you” cocktail in front of mixed-media artwork by Tony Wong at Mister Chen’s.
MISTER CHEN’S ASIAN BRASSERIE
Co-chef and owner Shaun Desaulniers knew he wanted a bold visual treatment when he opened Mr. Chen’s Asian Brasserie in 2018. To realize his vision, Desaulniers commissioned artist Tony Wong, whose large-scale mixed-media triptych is displayed at the
heart of the restaurant on 4th Street S.W. Wong’s elaborate canvases combine photography, painting and fashion, inspired by silkscreen prints and Warhol art. The pieces have an audacious flair that matches the edgy feel of Mr. Chen’s craft cocktails and dishes such as
spicy Spam and pineapple bao and cumin-lamb biangbiang noodles. You can also see more work by Wong at Bread and Circus Trattoria and the new French steak house Le Petit Boeuf. 2004 4 St. S.W., 403-764-2436, misterchensyyc.com
Circular portraits by Chris Cran at Raw Bar.
RAW BAR
Yes, we could stare lovingly at the tuna carpaccio with chili crumble, crispy nori, cucumber and yuzu ponzu for longer than we’d care to admit, but then we’d miss Raw Bar’s three
circular portraits by Chris Cran and six acrylic abstracts by Bradley Harms. Both sets mimic the appearance of digital art with their respective unconventional painting styles,
complementing the traditionmeets-disruption effect of the contemporary Asian fare on the menu. Hotel Arts, 119 12 Ave. S.W., 403-206-9565, rawbaryyc.ca
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TUBBY DOG
Tubby Dog has been serving offbeat hot dogs on 17th Avenue S.W. since 2005. Prior to that, proprietor Jon Truch served up test-kitchen dogs at the now-defunct Night Gallery. You can order an A-bomb (with cheese, bacon, mayo, mustard, ketchup and potato chips) or a sumo (covered in Japanese
mayo, wasabi, ginger, sesame seeds and seaweed salad) while playing pinball and retro arcade games six days a week (it’s closed on Mondays). They also do tacos on Tuesdays and burgers on Wednesdays. No matter when you arrive, you’ll be greeted outside by an Astro Boy-inspired hot-dog portrait
Tubby Dog’s interior mural by Finn Matthews and Mary Sanche.
by Kyle and Derek Simmers and welcomed inside by a Michelangelo-via-fantasysaga mural created by Finn Matthews and Mary Sanche.
717 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB Locally owned, operated and managed.
1022 17 Ave. S.W., 403-244-0694, tubbydog.com AvenueCalgary.com
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FOOD & DRINK
BARS WITH GREAT BROKEN CITY As you climb the stairs to Broken City’s rooftop patio, take a second to admire the screen-printed gig posters by Tim Huesken. Up on the rooftop, you’ll spot a TARDIS replica built by Eric Trapnell alongside Doctor Who-themed murals created by Jackie Leclaire. Once your drinks make their way through your system, check out the giant octopus painted inside the ladies’ room by Camille Betts or the Rick and Morty mural in the men’s painted by Greg Darou, street artist Voes and members of the Big Kitty arts collective. 613 11 Ave. S.W., 403-262-9976, brokencity.ca
THE HIFI CLUB Head to The Hifi Club to see large, colour-blocked pieces by Rhys Douglas Farrell, a.k.a. itsxyz. The pieces almost resemble a deconstructed mural, adding a light psychedelic effect when paired with the club’s pulsing bass and flashing lights. Hifi changes its walls at least once a year, so go check out this incarnation while you can. 219 10 Ave. S.W., 403-263-5222, hificlub.ca
MILK TIGER LOUNGE This nearly unmarked cocktail bar on 4th Street S.W. is a popular spot for dates and restaurant industry insiders, but something
VENDOME CAFÉ
A charming French-style café adjacent to the Containr park in Sunnyside, Vendome is a great place to enjoy a duck confit panini and an expertly made latte — and do a little art shopping while you’re at it. The Teatro Group property exhibits art for sale throughout the café’s two main rooms, switching in new works every 66
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month or two. There’s just one caveat: the vintage panoramic image of Calgary from the early 1900s is not on the market. Created by local branding firm Brandsmith from photos in Glenbow’s historical archives, it is the only permanent piece in the Vendome collection.
A panoramic image of early Calgary is the one piece of art at Vendome Café that’s not for sale.
of a secret for other imbibers. It shows up on some list of must-try bars every few years, fields a rush of first-timers and then bobs back to being a reliable spot to hide from post-’Dome rowdies. Sip a signature creation or time-honoured classic from the expansive cocktail list while you gaze upon eclectic works created by musicians and tattoo artists. Don’t leave without admiring the portrait of a dashingly dapper turtle by Chris Dow.
940 2 Ave. N.W., 403-453-1140,
1410 4 St. S.W., 403-261-5009,
vendomecafe.
milktigerlounge.ca
Visit Fernie this fall for spectacular scenery, adventure and festivals, just 3 hours from Calgary.
September 19–22nd
October 8–13th
Celebrate heritage, arts and culture at a four-day cornucopia of music, dining, creativity and harvest set against spectacular fall mountain foliage. ferniechautauqua.com
Join us for our Rainbow Celebration in the Rockies. A unique mountain experience embracing our diversity. Festival packages available in September. elkvalleypridefestival.com
Book lodging from $115/night. Visit TourismFernie.com to plan your trip.
#ferniestoke AvenueCalgary.com
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M O U N TA I N S
NEW MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES Many of the mountain towns that Calgarians love are growing. Here’s a look at what’s being built right now in Canmore, Fernie and Revelstoke.
Spring Creek, Canmore. 68
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M O U N TA I N S BY Shelley Arnusch
H
aving a place in the mountains is something every outdoorsy Calgarian has at least pondered on occasion. The idea that you could wake up, have your coffee and be out on the slopes or the trails without first having to undertake an extended highway drive gets more and more appealing the more of those drives you do. For families with kids, a mountain home-away-from-home alleviates the stress of planning for individual trips, and for those who eventually want to retire in the mountains, the dream is a place that can be used for vacation getaways now and transition into a full-time residence later on. These new communities being built in three of Calgary’s favourite mountain towns each have unique attributes, but the thing they have in common is they’re for people who love being in the mountains.
SPRING CREEK, CANMORE
Spring Creek photograph by Kristian Bogner; Montane photograph by Kyle Hamilton/Birr Agency
Aging in place in the heart of the action. Spring Creek is a mediumdensity community currently being built out on a 70-acre spread of land right in the heart of Canmore. Developer Frank Kernick is the third-generation owner of the land, a former dairy farm that’s been in his family since 1927. Having convinced his father and uncle that the time was right, Kernick initiated development at Spring Creek in 2002. Prior to that, the former farmland was being used as a campground. But those who used to camp there won’t recognize it now, with its alpine-modern multi-family residences, main-street-style shopping and the grand new Malcolm Hotel. When completed, Spring Creek’s population will be approximately 2,000, essentially making it a town within a town. Up to 300 of the 1,000 residences will be designated “touristhome,” a zoning classification that permits short-term vacation rentals. “Our hope is that 70 to 80 per cent are full-time residents and 20 to 30 per cent
are part-time residents, because we really want Spring Creek, being in the heart of Canmore, to have an active community,” Kernick says. With its lock-and-leave lifestyle, Spring Creek is tailormade for the active retiree/ snowbird set, and there are also options for this demographic to age in place. “This was a market that was a need in Canmore,” Kernick says. “People were having to leave Canmore because they did not have the appropriate seniors’ housing.” Origin at Spring Creek offers three tiers of senior care — from independent living, to assisted living, to memory care. The Origin building also houses the Mine Shaft Tavern, a classic pint-and-darts pub with a street-front entrance for general-public patrons and an interior entrance for the Origin residents. What he’s got with Spring Creek is certainly not lost on Kernick. “It’s a beautiful piece of land that’s surrounded by two beautiful creeks — with 2.5 kilometres of trail along the creek edges — and it’s a block from downtown Canmore,” he says. “It’s probably one of the most unique redevelopment sites in Western Canada.”
A home in Montane, Fernie, B.C.
MONTANE, FERNIE
Backyard trails and a community farm. There are so many Calgarians with recreational properties in Fernie, B.C., they had to invent a word for them: “Califernians.” Not exactly locals, but more connected to the community than tourists, this group flocks to Fernie for the world-class skiing and mountain biking. Some are drawn to the ski-in-ski-out properties at Fernie Alpine Resort, while others prefer places with better accessibility to the town centre. That’s one of the features of Montane, a new residential community located southeast of downtown (or, in Fernie terms, about a fiveminute trail ride away). Montane is the work of Parastone, a Fernie-based development company headed by Aussie-expat Simon Howse, who first came to the area in 1997. Parastone’s portfolio includes 901 Fernie, a multifamily development and spa in a restored heritage school. Howse also owns the local ski-bum hangout the Fernie Hotel and Pub. Montane was originally slated to be a golf course. When that project fell into receivership, Parastone acquired the land from the bank in 2013. Upon review, Howse decided to scrap the golf-course plans AvenueCalgary.com
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M O U N TA I N S
Upper Arrow Lake near Revelstoke, B.C.
SHELTER BAY, COLUMBIA SHUSWAP REGIONAL DISTRICT Lakeside living on larger lots. Approximately half-an-hour’s drive south of Revelstoke along BC Highway 23, Shelter Bay is a new community being carved out of a 5,200-acre patch of forest next to Upper Arrow Lake. Vancouver-based developer Cedar Coast acquired the land in 2007 and started building out Shelter Bay in 2017. Initial phases have offered 2.5-acre lots. Another 20 five- and sixacre lots were released earlier this year with 27 more five-acre lots to come. Future phases beyond that will feature smaller lots, mostly in the half-acre range. The entire community is zoned to allow for nightly vacation rentals. Since Shelter Bay is essentially selling just the home sites for custom builds, lot owners aren’t required to build right away. “We have had a couple of instances where people may not be ready to build for a few years, but they are just in love with the area and they have future plans to locate there, so they’re secur-
ing their piece of paradise,” says Cedar Coast co-president Ender Ilkay. He forecasts that Shelter Bay will be built out in approximately 20 to 25 years at a pace of approximately 20 to 25 homes per year. At present, approximately 15 per cent of Shelter Bay buyers have been Calgarians. “That’s the thing about people from Calgary, they love the outdoors and they love the mountains and they love the lakes,” Ilkay says. As development proceeds, plans are to create a non-motorized trail system within the community, as well as beach access areas, green spaces and eventually a general store. Ilkay says the development will also feature public access points to the backcountry areas in the surrounding Crown Land for snowmobiling and other forms of recreation. Ultimately, it’s the lake that truly sets Shelter Bay apart. “A lot of people don’t know Upper Arrow Lake,” says Ilkay. Crystal clear and surrounded by mountains, it’s nothing short of “geographically spectacular,” he says. “From a developmentyield perspective it’s a big undertaking to do something like this, almost create something from the beginning, from scratch,” he says. “But I fell in love with the property when I saw it and pictured what it could become.”
GIMME SHELTER Shelter Bay is currently developing large acreage lots, though future phases will feature smaller, half-acre lots. 70
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Photograph by Transposition Films
and instead create a network of multi-use trails on the community’s northeastern slopes. The trail system has a warming hut and outdoor firepit at a scenic lookout point, with the section of trail leading up to the hut designed to be accessible. Building public-access trails was certainly an effective way to curry favour with Fernie locals. Another was to give them an exclusive offer to purchase initial lots. As a result, Howse says 75 per cent of homes in phases one, two and three are occupied by Fernie residents. Phase four, he says, is “more 50/50,” with the nonlocal 50 per cent predominantly Calgarians. All four initial phases are now sold out, with another three phases planned: phase five goes up for sale this fall, while phases six and seven will be what Howse describes as a lock-and-leave “villa-style development” with “cottage-like” homes, marketed to retirees and downsizers. Howse estimates the community will have between 300 and 400 residences when it’s complete and should be fully built out by 2025. Almost half of Montane is zoned for short-term vacation rentals. Perhaps the most unique thing about Montane is its farm — rather than razing the land’s original farming operation, Howse decided to restore it as a community hub. A horse barn and chicken coop are up and running and ultimately the farm will have ducks, lambs, goats and pigs as well as a vegetable garden and small orchard. “Our capital contribution to the farm is, in a way, our golf course,” Howse says. “What most people are interested in is having some kind of ownership and access to fresh eggs and honey and vegetables and fruit, but they don’t really want to do the work. Most of us fall into that category.” The farm is run independently from the community from a cost perspective and Montane owners have the choice to opt in for access to the farm’s products and services, or not. But most are opting in — the program is oversubscribed with a waiting list.
If you’re looking for an inclusive, fun-loving spirited neighbourhood to call home, you can find it in T H E
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DECOR
Architect and homeowner Ryan Scarff designed his family home to have massive windows on the exterior walls and space on the interior walls for artworks such as this painting by Kim Dorland.
BY Jennifer Friesen PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jared Sych
THE ACCIDENTAL KEEPER A family finds out their dream home was a spec home that they ultimately couldn’t bear to part with. 72
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The home features a Poggenpohl kitchen with accessible counterspace and storage.
D
r. Carrie Scarff distinctly remembers the moment she reluctantly walked into her dream home. It was a home that Scarff, the clinical director and owner of Audiology Innovations hearing clinics, and her husband, architect Ryan Scarff, were building on Sifton Boulevard in the southwest community of Elbow Park. The couple had owned the property for five years with the intention of having Ryan design a home for the lot that they would then build and sell. They were well into building in 2013 when a curious friend convinced Carrie to walk through the construction site. Carrie laughingly recalls that her friend had to work to convince her as she hadn’t really wanted to go. But then, “I’ll never forget the moment I walked up the stairs from the basement and I saw all this light,” she says. “Immediately, I knew we
had to [have the home for ourselves]. It’s funny, because it was only the wood framing, so it was definitely still in progress, but you can feel a space, and I just knew. I was instantly excited.” There wasn’t much question about who would move in after that because both Ryan and Carrie agreed: he had accidentally built a home for their family. Ryan says now that, in a way, his family was always the client. He was building the home for a family, and he “kind of assumed that any family would want what my family wants.” Sitting at the dining table, mere feet from where she had that first realization, Carrie laughs and looks toward Ryan. “It was like you designed it for us,” she says. Ryan has been an architect for 17 years and his company Ryan Scarff Studio tends toward a modern aesthetic with warmer materials and a strong focus on light. That is certainly true in AvenueCalgary.com
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DECOR
RIGHT The stairs and amenities are housed inside a central service core, allowing the outer rooms to pinwheel off of the central area and the exterior windows to let in an abundance of natural light from every angle.
this case as well. The tiered home is built around a central service core that houses the electrical services, venting, stairs and powder rooms, leaving the outside walls open to allow natural light and beautiful views in on all three levels. Ryan studied the light in the space meticulously — balanced light is a major factor in his designs because that balance makes a space feel comfortable. The movement of light through the day also helped Ryan determine the scale and placement of the rooms, with consideration given to when light will be in the space. He even added a skylight at the top of the stairs to fill the centre of the home with light. Despite being built into the side of a hill, every level of the home was designed to have colossal windows and access to the outdoors. Ryan’s basement office has a sunken courtyard that lets light into the rooms that access it. The floor-to-ceiling windows and doors on the main level can open to let air and light in from every angle. And the top-level main bedroom is complete with a south-facing patio, as well as a sitting room, undercounter fridge and La Marzocco espresso machine, making it an almost completely selfcontained suite. The Scarffs’ son, 12, and daughter, 10, have their bedrooms on the north-facing side of the top floor. High up on the hill, with their huge windows looking out over the neighbourhood through the trees, you can see why Carrie refers to her kids’ rooms as “tree forts.” The couple says their home is a retreat for the family and that everyone has their favourite place to perch. “Our home really feels like a treehouse and that’s perfect for us,” Ryan says. “People tend to think of design as a collection of vignettes of the perfect tile, the perfect vase and the perfect mirror. But when you remember a space, you don’t remember the tile, you remember how you feel in it. Space and light are important pieces in how you experience and feel at home. It reflects us.” 74
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ABOVE Art and decor items have been collected by the Scarff family over the years. Animal motifs — including the horse lamp and the elephant painting — can be seen throughout.
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DECOR The main bedroom ensuite features a skylight above the shower, filling the room with natural light that changes colours throughout the seasons.
L ET T I N G THE LIGHT IN Architect Ryan Scarff says that natural light is the “core DNA” of this home and that he specifically designed the spaces with the light in mind. Here are some of his top considerations about light. 1. Keep it even. If the contrast of light and dark spaces in a room exceeds a ratio of three to one, Scarff says it can be mentally unsettling to try to make sense of the disparity. He completed a light study of his own house while designing it to ensure that natural light comes in from all angles evenly. 2. Understand how light moves throughout the day. The use of every room in the home relates to when it’s exposed to light: the main bedroom receives warm morning light, while the main bedroom’s patio captures soft evening light in the summer. “This light choreography sets up arrangement of the various spaces and suggests our path as we move through our day,” Scarff says. 3. Let light into unexpected places. With the central service core of the Scarff home containing the stairwell, pantry and other amenities, the exterior walls are open to let in natural light. Scarff also added a skylight at the top of the stairwell to light the centre of the home and placed another skylight above the shower in the main bedroom ensuite, so it would also be sunlit.
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SOURCE DECOR PAGES 72 TO 76
Dining room Moooi rug from Robert Sweep, 808 16 Ave. S.W., 403-262-8525, robertsweep.com Table from Design Within Reach, dwr.com Chairs from Kit Interior Objects, 725 11 Ave. S.W., 403-508-2533, kitinteriorobjects.com Chandelier from Design Within Reach Pig from Kit Interior Objects Trampoline art by Kim Dorland from Skew Gallery (now closed); Dorland is now represented by Masters Gallery Ltd., 2115 4 St. S.W., 403-245-2064, mastersgalleryltd.com Kitchen-nook table and chairs from Roche Bobois, 225 10 Ave. S.W., 403-532-4401, roche-bobois.com Countertop from Cosentino Centre Calgary, 10301 19 St. N.E., 587-538-8301, cosentino.com Poggenpohl cabinetry from Küchen, 170, 1800 4 St. S.W., 403-244-0252, kuchen.ca Faucet from Küchen Custom-made bar stools from Roche Bobois Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances from Küchen Light screen behind stove by Barrisol from Küchen Moooi pendant light from Robert Sweep Living-room couch and rug from Roche Bobois Purple chair by B&B Italia, purchased at Robert Sweep, now carried by Le Belle Arti, 1435 9 Ave. S.E., 403-234-9700, lebellearti.com Art in livingroom by Aaron M. Flynn, aaronmflynnartworks.com Horse lamp by Moooi from Robert Sweep Elephant art commissioned from Erik Olson, erikolson.ca Art over fireplace commissioned from Douglas Coupland, coupland.com Grey chair and side table beside fireplace from Robert Sweep
Homeowners Ryan and Carrie Scarff describe their home as a retreat for the family where everyone has their favourite “perch.” The seating area off the living room is where the Scarff kids do their homework.
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THE LIST
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Salt and Pepper Mug Shotz Suicide Wings from Mug Shotz Sports Bar & Grill “Mug Shotz in Ogden has the best wings I’ve ever had in my life, and the best selection of wing flavours I’ve ever seen. The salt and pepper suicide sauce has such a natural spice that doesn’t kill me, but has great flavour.”
AS TOLD TO Jennifer Friesen
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The Film Fridge at The Camera Store “The Camera Store is such an incredible resource. It’s like a Canadian hub for photography. I shoot HP5 almost exclusively, but I love the entire film fridge at The Camera Store.”
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Civic Tavern “Being English, I need to know what my local pub is at all times, and this is the true spirit of a pub. It was formerly the Hop In Brew, but it hasn’t changed a bit. It’s still one of my favourite spots in the city.”
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Live Music at Gravity Espresso and Wine Bar “It always feels so close and comfortable in there. There’s something about the nice blues on the walls, low lighting and a wonderful selection of tea and coffee — it’s like a livingroom show.”
A man of many interests — singer, songwriter, photographer and small-business owner — Benjamin Longman has made fast work of creating a name for himself in Calgary. Since his move to the city from England four years ago, Longman has released three EPs, performed at the Calgary Folk Music Festival and launched Film Drop YYC, an independent film-processing service and vintage camera retailer. With two drop-off locations, Film Drop YYC collects, processes and scans film to send back to Calgary photographers in an accessible fashion. “I want to make it easier for people to explore film photography in a time when it can feel out-of-reach,” Longman says. Here are 10 things in Calgary he loves. 7 8 avenueAUGUST.19
Dollar Sales at Recordland “This sale is not on every day, but when it is, all you need is some time and $20 and you’ll find incredible stuff. The shop has records floor-to-ceiling. I get lost in the back room for hours.”
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Matinees at The Plaza Theatre “I love all the retro pre-show announcements from the 1980s and ’90s. There’s just something about seeing a movie in an old theatre like that.”
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Photo Books at the New Central Library “I find photo books the best way to really sit down and find inspiration or [discover] new photographers. The New Central Library has a great selection, and it’s a gorgeous building to sit in and unplug.”
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The Restricted Section Show at Betty Lou’s Library “It’s a classic burlesque show, 1920s and ’30s style, and it’s transformative. You go in there and suddenly you’re taken on a journey to a completely different era. Plus, the cocktails are amazing.”
The Beautiful and the Damned From Betty Lou’s Library
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Tea Trader’s Yin Hao Jasmine Tea “The space is incredible. It’s upstairs, and you open the door to a narrow staircase and you immediately smell every tea ever made. The Yin Hao jasmine loose leaf is very delicate and floral. I’ve never found a better tea.”
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Tuesday Open Mic Nights at Koi “It’s one of the friendliest open-mic nights I’ve ever been to in my life. There’s so much community, and you’re guaranteed to hear someone brand new and someone that will absolutely blow you away.” Find out more about Film Drop YYC at filmdropyyc.com.
Photograph by Sheen C. Zilinski; The Beautiful and the Damned and Tea Trader photo by Jared Sych
Benjamin Longman
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COASTAL BLISS MOBILE SPA
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swimwear designer, but Julia Barnes defies the odds with her company
Coastal Bliss mobile spa provides massages, manicures, pedicures, lash extensions and makeup services throughout Calgary, allowing individuals and groups to experience the relaxation of a spa day in their home or office. Whether it’s on-site massages for construction crews or a moment of relaxation for a single mother at home, the mobile service is easy to book (plus, there’s no hassle finding parking). Coastal Bliss also gives back to the community: founder and owner Marie Paquin and her team visit women’s shelters, the Mustard Seed and the YWCA to offer free services on a monthly basis. “I love going in and showing these women that in the worst of times, there are people out there who will genuinely care for you and don’t want anything in return,” Paquin says. —N.K.
Honubelle. Inspired by the crystal-clear mountain creeks of Kananaskis,
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With only about two-and-a-half months of comfortable outdoor swimming weather each year, Calgary might not seem like an obvious home for a
Barnes says she wanted to create a suit that is both sporty and sexy. Her “superior one piece,” shown here in lava-print ($205), covers and holds everything in all the right places and has a deep V cut in the back, adding a sultry design element. Whether you want to hit the waves with a surfboard, or lounge poolside with a good book, this suit will make you look and feel good while doing it. —S.J.
Thirsty Naturals Skin Care
Corq Yoga Mat
Thirsty Naturals is a line of non-gender-specific skin care for youthful
If you’re looking to upgrade your yoga mat, Calgary-based Corq may
complexions without the price tag that often comes with the “natural” label
have just what you need. Made from agglomerated cork harvested
(Thirsty Naturals products are between $12 and $22). President and founder
in Portugal, the surface of the Corq yoga mat offers high functional-
Jen Carlson created Thirsty Naturals to fill a gap in the market she noticed
ity with a natural appearance. Cork has both natural anti-slip and
while shopping for her own teenaged daughter. “My primary goal was that
anti-microbial properties which means it lends itself to even the most
I want this to be attainable,” says Carlson. “This isn’t a luxury item. This is
intensely sweaty hot yoga sessions, though it can be used to practice
meant to be an everyday part of your routine.” The 100-per cent natural line
at any level. While there are other cork-based yoga mats on the mar-
manufactured in Calgary includes foaming face wash and daily moisturizer
ket, owner John Gardiner says the unique design and the high quality
as well as deodorant and dry shampoo. Thirsty Naturals also lists the origins
of the cork sets Corq apart from the competition. The Corq Mat sells
and purposes of all its product ingredients on its website. —N.K.
for $110 and comes with a carrying strap. —N.K.
Available at thirstynaturals.ca and well.ca
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Photography courtsey of Honubelle, Thirsty Naturals and Corq
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WORK OF ART
TITLE: Listerine, 2018
CURATED BY Katherine Ylitalo
ARTIST: Kablusiak MEDIUM: Soapstone and tung oil. SIZE: 1:1 scale of the actual bottle.
Listerine
E
ven without a label, the flask form is instantly recognizable: Listerine. As an example of packaging as advertisement, the shape is spot-on. Like pop art made popular by Andy Warhol, the sculpture is infused with wit that riffs on consumerism. In the hands of the artist Kablusiak, there is another layer: a reminder that the Inuit are contemporary people. The medium stores a milky mix of earth colours, light shades of green, soft greys and
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hazy cream. A diagonal vein of darker green runs from the shoulder to the base, while the “cap” is polished with tung oil, enhancing its subtle colouring. In your hand, it holds the warmth of your touch and feels soft. High talc content gives the metamorphic rock its tactile feel like dry soap, hence its name, soapstone. Listerine is one of a series of sculptures called Uyarak/Stone by Kablusiak, a young Inuvialuk artist and curator who is attracting notice with exhibitions, projects and awards. Kablusiak
received the AFA (Alberta Foundation for the Arts) Young Artist Prize and Primary Colours Emerging Artist Award after graduating from the Alberta College of Art + Design (now Alberta University of the Arts) in drawing in 2016. They — Kablusiak uses non-gendered pronouns — completed the Indigenous Curatorial Research Practicum at Banff Centre in 2018 and is now part of a curatorial team preparing the debut of the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Born in Yellowknife and raised in Edmonton, Kablusiak travelled to Inuvik last summer to the Great Northern Arts Festival as part of a customized artist residency awarded through the TD North/South Artist Exchange in collaboration with the Canadian Art Foundation. It was the first time Kablusiak had returned to their ancestral territory as an adult. That’s where Listerine was carved. The master carvers in the festival tent were amused as the shape of the Listerine bottle emerged. Kablusiak has deep respect for their work and gratitude toward them, but takes aim at the actions and assumptions of the agents of Hudson’s Bay Company, the Canadian Handicrafts Guild and the government, who in the 1950s worked together to set up soapstone carving as an industry in the North to feed a market for art down south. Hudson’s Bay even circulated a pamphlet with notes on style, technique and subject, urging carvers to represent their “authentic” way of life — specifically, animals and igloos. Kablusiak pushes back against the vexed history of the colonial endeavour and turns the tables with intelligence and humour. Soapstone? Check. Smooth, rounded forms that can be transported safely? Check. Carefully hand-carved and polished? Check. Representation of authentic life? Check. And with that, Kablusiak claims space for the expression of contemporary life through the humble Listerine bottle.
Photograph courtesy of Jarvis Hall Gallery
LOCATION: Esker Foundation, 1011 9 Ave. S.E., part of group exhibition “Among All These Tundras.”
Photo Michel Gibert: for advertising purposes only. Special thanks: TASCHEN. * Conditions apply, ask your store for more details.
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