This is Calgary

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 Anis Heydari. Every Wednesday.

Calgary is a country music city, but how?

All that twang had to come from somewhere! Local ethnomusicologist Mike Tod offers us a history lesson, and Southern Alberta's own country star MacKenzie Porter joins us from Nashville to talk about today's country sound.

05-29
21:18

Electric bikes: pathway scourge or convenient car replacement?

It's cycling season in Calgary (if you're not one of the hardcore winter riders putting us all to shame) and the e-bikes are out. We talk about what you can — and what you can't — do on an e-bike, with someone who really loves them.

05-22
15:05

Yes, there ARE more potholes this year in Calgary — so what's going on?

Yeah, it's pothole season. And this year, it FEELS like there are more cracks and crevices than usual. It's not just a feeling! We have facts! The city's chief pothole filler tells us how many there are, and how you can get the one that wrecked your alignment fixed.

05-15
16:44

The magic that wasn't: goodbye to the 90s teal of Eau Claire Market

The Eau Claire Market is soon to be demolished, so it's time to look back at what went right, what went wrong and what's next for the downtown project that never really worked. Failure or not, Calgarians felt strongly about the now-dead mall and the magic it promised, so we talk to a literal magician about what it was like to perform there, and a former city councillor about what it's like to finally say "eau" revoir.

05-08
19:57

Send us your potholes!

We've got a special episode coming up on potholes in Calgary - so we need you to email anis@cbc.ca with the potholes you hate the most. Email us a voice memo with your name, where your pothole is, what's terrible about it - and heck, let us know what you named it (if you name your potholes). It could air on a future episode!

05-06
01:18

Poplar trees are the popular tree Calgary loves to hate

Big, brittle, sticky and fluffy. Calgary is a city of poplar trees, but they aren't always popular with the public. Master arborist Gerard Fournier tells us how we got so many of these trees. And you can blame Ottawa!

05-01
17:25

Calgary is now the Blue Sky City — what?

We're going through a rebrand here in Calgary - we're now the "Blue Sky City!" Do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you have any idea what it means? Brand expert Alyssa Berry joins us on why a lukewarm reception might be perfect.

04-24
20:13

We need to talk about blanket zoning, Calgary

City council is about to decide if it wants to make it simpler to knock down a bungalow and build a row house. This could help ease the affordability crunch, and could lead to neighbourhoods that don't look like they were intended to. With emotion on all sides, we hear from a community opposed, and why the city says it's time to get cozy with this blanket.

04-17
19:59

Calgary has a growing tech sector, and one of its hubs is a fancy parking lot

You know that snazzy parkade near the downtown library? It's part of a maturing tech sector in what's traditionally an oil and gas town. We hear from Platform Calgary, and a medical software company, on how to make it in tech.

04-10
18:08

Wrestling is having a moment — and Calgary is smack in the middle of it

WWE's biggest event of the year is this weekend, WrestleMania! From Bret Hart to Stampede Wrestling, Calgary has a defining role in the history of pro wrestling. Sharpshooters, anyone? Local superstar Kat Von Heez and one of the owners of CanAm Wrestling, Otto Gentile, join us on the mic to see how the local shows are surging in the midst of it all.

04-03
21:13

BONUS: Josh went to Costco

After wasting his money on a Costco membership he never used, producer Josh Pagé finally went big and bulk. How did he do? There's only one person to ask: YYC Costco Lover, Tina Chow.

03-29
08:21

What life and school is like in Calgary for queer kids today

We talk with queer kids about changes coming to how this province treats 2SLGBTQ+ youth, and how they are feeling weeks after the Alberta government proposed — but hasn't passed — new laws.

03-27
19:51

Why a price cut at every Calgary store isn't actually a bargain

Inflation is dropping these days. But frustratingly when shopping, nothing looks cheaper! Why don't things feel better for Canadians? We have economist Charles St-Arnaud to explain what's happening — and why inflation can actually be good.

03-20
14:40

Sometimes a chinook just isn't enough! Why the weather sucks, and the wind blows in Calgary

There's a saying in this city: "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." We'll take 20 minutes with weather expert Kyle Brittain to break down the wild and wacky reasons why Calgary's weather is so unique.

03-13
20:54

Don't feed the coyotes — and other insights on our city's relationship with wild canines

This city has coyotes trotting through parks and sauntering through streets. But Calgarians don't always get along too well with the wild animals. A world-leading coyote expert joins us to talk about co-existing with these canines, and what's underneath conflict when it happens.

03-06
21:55

YYC Costco lover Tina Chow says buy now, think later, and listen now!

Calgary and its Costcos. We live in bulk here. Just look at the more than 94,000 members of the YYC Costco Lovers Facebook page. Every day you can see what's hot, what's not, and which store has that chair you want so badly, but just can't seem to find. The group's founder, Tina Chow, joins us for all things Kirkland.

02-28
21:18

Calgary's weird obsession with quadrants

Are you NW, SW, SE or NE? Unless you live right on Centre Street, you live in one of the four slices that make up Calgary's geographic pie. But why are we so attached to specific two-letter abbreviations after our addresses? Hear how the ways we feel about our quadrants could change as the city gets bigger.

02-21
18:25

The famous Calgary foods you know — plus those you don't

Sit down and feast on the history of Calgary's great food exports with us. We talk with food writer and cookbook author Dan Clapson about the Caesar and ginger beef, and discover two other creations we can take pride in.

02-14
18:06

Can Calgary charge one million electric vehicles at once? You might be shocked

What happens if everyone get an electric car - and everyone needs to charge it at once? We know the push is on to move Calgarians to electric vehicles. But we also know Alberta's electricity grid has struggled through recent weather. So get your calculators out because it's time to carry the ones and answer this once and for all with the help of energy economist Blake Shaffer.

02-07
21:27

Even in Calgary, influencers make a killing

Calgary has a lot to do - from arts and culture, to bars and restaurants, to outdoor and indoor sports. But many of the folks you see doing things in this city on social media like Instagram and TikTok aren't just having fun. They're making money. We find out how - and how much.

01-31
21:55

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