If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Calgary is an amazing city to raise a family in, there is no question about that. If you find yourself questioning that statement then my reply would be to consider the context and perspective of alternate choices.
The fact that Joe Beef has been voted Canada's best restaurant isn't going to come as a surprise to enthusiasts of the nation's food scene. But many will be shocked that the iconic restaurant's hometown, Montreal, trails Calgary in the number of entries placed in the 2013 Vacay.ca Top 50 Restaurants in Canada Guide.
There is nothing wrong with encouraging your fellow citizens to be involved in the political process by supporting candidates, voting, making donations, or even by trying to persuade them to vote for candidates more in line with your (and, hopefully, their) interests. All of these behaviours are part of a healthy democracy. Given the low voter turnout in many elections, more rather than less such engagement is required.
The current scandal surrounding the real estate developers in Calgary and their efforts to influence the October 2013 municipal elections is evidence of an industry feeling entitled to proceed with business as they see fit but unable or unwilling to innovate or think strategically or critically about their direction.
Every time I stop in at the following five destinations I arrive at my sandwich happy place. When you taste the following sandwiches you would almost think they were made by a higher power. If you are in a hurry and want to call ahead to have your sandwich ready for pick up, if you want to order for a large group or event, or if you want to sit down and enjoy, all 5 of these best in Calgary sandwich shops will make your wallet and your taste buds happy.
So you can imagine my dismay when I heard the news that MRU is considering cutting some of the very programs that this venue was designed to support--and without apparent consultation with the community. These programs are critical for the development of Calgary's cultural offerings and eliminating them severely inhibits our ability to attract the best and brightest to our city from around the world. I also hope that other potential donors will not be put off by the possibility that the intent of their generosity may be lost to provincial politics.
---------------------------------------- Think of that much-overused (and sometimes incorrect) line, "It's not personal. It's business." Well, the...
Within milliseconds of the explosions, #BostonMarathon and #PrayForBoston were trending topics on Twitter. This is today's reality when it comes to tragedy. We live in a day and age where news finds us, we don't need to even look for it. Online, in the midst of tragedy, it's easy to spot those who care... those who don't... and those who would and do dare to make some sort of joke or cast blame before all of the facts have been sorted. While this online always-connected life exposes us to tragedy faster and with more detail and impact than ever before... it also allows us to feel connected, to reach out and support one another like never before.
Golden fields of wheat blowing in the breeze and cows lazily grazing in the lush green pasture are the first things that come to most people's minds when they think of Alberta agriculture, but there's more to the provincial ag industry than grain and cattle. The Wild Rose province is home to many different types of agricultural operations such as beekeeping, sugar beets, pulses, market gardens, elk, bison, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey, dairy, eggs and much more.
Aggie Days, an event that celebrates a sanitized and fictitious version of modern, industrialized agriculture. Animals are cute and cuddly. They have straw in their pens and room to roam. Baby chicks, cage free and with their beaks still intact, scurry around, enjoying their last bit of freedom.
With Ralph Klein's passing, many have tried to find a constant theme in his political life. The late premier was, to be sure, a populist. What else explains his reputation as a big spender when mayor of Calgary and then his switch to a prudent premier?
Among other amazing exhibits, the mama goats recently had their babies so the little kids (baby goats) will only be about a month old when they make their first appearance at Aggie Days. They are too cute to miss.
If it wasn't enough to be ranked the best city in a country of 34 million, Calgary has also been ranked the 5th best city to live in the entire world by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Most Livable Cities Survey for the last three consecutive years. To think that this city of roughly 1.2 million people is one of the top five cities in a world of over 7 billion people is absolutely mind blowing.
That's right, Calgary holds two pretty cool records for the worlds longest. One, is very specific to our climate and economic prowess, the other we owe to an urban shopping mecca and indoor garden oasis.
On Wednesday, March 13th, the membership of Calgary Co-op voted in favour of eliminating caged eggs and pork in their 24 stores located in Calgary and region. Calgary Co-op boasts a membership of 440,000, making it one of the largest cooperatives in North America.
If Calgary Co-op member, and local food activist, Clint Robertson's motion is successful on Wednesday at their AGM, Calgary Co-op will make history by being the first major food retailer in Canada to begin phasing out the intensive confinement of farm animals, specifically caged pork and battery caged hens for eggs.
