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Let’s get into the curiosities and constants that make Calgary a wonderful and sometimes frustrating place to call home. One story and conversation at a time. Hosted by Jenny Howe. Every Wednesday.
85 Episodes
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Plus, the struggles of the Northern Hills Community Association. In Calgary, some community associations are making a play to revive their numbers, after volunteers and memberships have dwindled.
Most Calgarians remember the 1988 Olympics as a success for the city — and for what they got built. Hello new CTrain line, Saddledome and Olympic Oval! But when the city had the chance to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Calgarians said no. In this episode, we explore why the No Calgary Olympics campaign prevailed and what it might take to become an Olympic city for a second time.
Tariffs, separatism and federal election speculation — this episode has it all! West of Centre podcast host Kathleen Petty joins This is Calgary to break down some of the big stories from the weekend's Conservative Party convention held right here in cowtown.Listen to our past episode on this city's tendency to vote blue, here.
The biggest night in Calgary varsity sports is here — the Crowchild Classic. This week, we set the stage for the matchup, look at how the event has evolved over the years, and hear from standout players on both the University of Calgary Dinos and the Mount Royal University Cougars hockey teams.
When it comes to Calgary's infrastructure, there’s a big gap between what needs to be done and the money needed to do it. In the wake of a second major water main break, we look at why municipalities across the country face similar issues, and we hear from former Ward 12 councillor Evan Spencer, who tried to raise alarms about this very issue while on council.
It’s easy to focus on what’s been torn down, but what about what’s been saved? This episode explores Calgary’s approach to preserving historic buildings through adaptive reuse. We also preview a new project that could transform two downtown heritage buildings, the historic Fire Hall No. 1 and the North-West Travellers Building.Curious what options exist for the downtown Hudson's Bay Building? Listen to that episode here.
An underground city pipe — that carries about 60 per cent of Calgary's drinking water — has had a second catastrophic break in two years. CBC reporter Brendan Coulter joins us to talk about what fixing it might take, and what that means for accessing water in the meantime.UPDATE: The highly anticipated report about the 2024 failure of the city's key water feeder main is out now, read CBC's coverage here.
Sixteenth Avenue is a major gateway road in this city, but the way it looks leaves a little something to be desired. We are replaying one of our favourite episodes from this year exploring why this roadway looks the way it does, it's unique history and if there's any hope for a better, more colourful future.This is Calgary will return with new episodes on January 7th, happy holidays!
In an era of e-books and online shopping, Calgary is embracing something unexpected: genre bookstores. From romance to horror, two new brick-and-mortar shops are proving that a niche can be powerful. Host Jenny Howe explores why these stores are opening now, the 'feral' appetites of their readers and what they tell us about the future of local bookstores.
Calgary is seeing a record rise in pedestrian deaths, raising tough questions about safety in a car-centric, sprawling city. We talk to the City of Calgary about how they’re responding — and to an urban planner with a vision for a more walkable, people-first future.
At city hall, there has been a marathon discussion by council over how it will spend Calgary's more than $8-billion annual budget. Yes, we'll talk about property taxes but also hear why the latest showdown between urban councillors and their suburban counterparts matters. CBC senior producer Josh Pagé joins us to make sense of it all.
At the west end of 17th Avenue SW lies one of Calgary's most notorious intersections — a corner where businesses struggle and vibrancy dulls. We explore the history of 14th Street and 17th Avenue’s persistent challenges, and meet the man who believes he can finally transform this troubled corner for good.
Two recall petitions are underway in Alberta — one targeting Calgary-Bow MLA Demetrios Nicolaides (who is also the minister of education and childcare), and another aimed at Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt. In this episode, we speak with organizers behind both efforts.
There's a struggle for stage space for Calgary’s independent theatre companies. Local venues are downsizing, undergoing transformation or closing altogether. In this episode, we talk to the person building a new downtown venue, The Erratics Indie Arts Club, as well as a local actress about why keeping Calgary’s theatre scene alive matters.
Ramsay is a small but distinct southeast Calgary neighbourhood — known for its heritage homes, murals and even a once-roaming turkey. But as the community evolves, some of that history is being lost. We talk to a longtime resident and a local business owner about how they’re keeping Ramsay’s original spirit alive amid all the change.
She broke barriers as Calgary’s first female mayor — and faced backlash in her term including a petition calling for her to step down. After Calgarians voted not to re-elect her, Jyoti Gondek joins This is Calgary host Jenny Howe for a conversation about leadership, loss, and lessons learned from four years at City Hall.
In a special Tuesday edition of the podcast, we’re zeroing in on the (unofficial) results of Calgary’s mayoral race — the winner, the numbers, and what it all means for the city’s future. Political scientist Duane Bratt joins us to break it down.
We’re still zoned in on the municipal election, and on this episode we hear from the front-runner mayoral candidates about what they plan to do about the wedge issue of blanket rezoning: repeal it, tweak it, or double down.
Just before municipal election season, a fiery debate broke out in council chambers over Calgary's Climate Emergency Declaration. We go back in time to explore what that says about Calgary's political future.
Safety is top of mind this election. From hiring more cops to creating more integrated social services, we get into what candidates are saying about the problem, what the stats say and what some solutions may be.
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