Tag Archives: Calgary

This year, MoneySense knows what’s up!

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Although I had previously argued against past MoneySense rankings, this year the editors at the personal finance magazine got it right, naming Calgary as the best Canadian city to live in.  Not only that, but Alberta practically owned the podium, with St. Albert coming in second, Strathcona in fourth, Lacombe in eighth and Lethbridge in ninth.  Notably absent from the top 10?  Drug-addled, crime-ridden, poverty-stricken Deadmonton.  (OK, so they finished 11th, which is still better than the Oilers.)

Interestingly enough, Cowtown rose all the way from 14th overall to first, based on the strength of its low jobless rate, low property taxes and high household income.  And if the Flames were in playoff contention, we’d probably have an even more commanding lead over that northern Deadmonton suburb. ;)

Speaking of suburbs, several small, outlying cities in the GTA also fared well again, with Burlington, Oakville and Newmarket all ranking in the top 10.  Having lived in Oakville for a brief spell, I can attest that it’s a great place to raise kids—all the crosswalk buttons are at knee height, so they don’t hafta reach up to press ‘em.  (On the other hand, Oakville’s not a very happening place when you’re a single young man without a car.  They don’t even have a sidewalk on Ford Drive…)

Then again, I don’t see myself living in the 2013 study’s fifth-ranked city any more than I can picture myself moving back to its chart-topping locale.  I’m convinced that I was part of the last generation who grew up in Calgary when it was not a very happening place—even my family doesn’t live there anymore—and I’m pretty well settled in MoneySense’s 28th-ranked city by now.  That being said, if Alberta ever separates from the rest of Canada, I will most likely return to reclaim my citizenship and take advantage of their equalization-free, next-to-nonexistent tax rates.  (Hey, they’re already the only province without any form of PST!)  But I can’t say I see that happening in my lifetime—unless another Trudeau wins an election, that is. ;)

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TOP 10 DOOM DUOS: 4. Mares of Thrace

Posted by gruesomegreg on

The two-piece band is has become more of a popular formation recently; not just in lamestream garage rock, but when it comes to the slow ‘n heavy shit as well.  Certainly, one of the frontrunners of this formation is OM, who, upon the realizati0n that they weren’t getting Matt Pike back into the fold, decided to continue the legacy of Sleep as a duo shortly after the turn of the century.  What with them coming to town next Sunday, I figured it was time to take a look at some of the other artists who’ve taken their torch and meandered along slowly with it.  Thus, I’ll be counting down the top doom duos over the next 10 days…

10. Taurus

 9. Sardonis

8. Dark Castle

7. The Body

6. Black Cobra

5. Pentagram

4. Mares of Thrace

I know what you’re thinking about the photo above.  Is this a doom band, or a women’s winter fashion catalogue?  Well, if that’s the case, you obviously haven’t heard of Mares of Thrace, quite possibly the heaviest band to ever come outta Calgary.  This doom duo scored a breakout hit with their second album, The Pilgrimage, back in March, and were even nominated for a Polaris Music Prize.  Quite an accomplishment considering the only other remotely heavy acts on the list were Fucked Up and, surprisingly, Saskatchewan’s own Shooting Guns (a killer heavy psych band; check ‘em out!)  WARNING: Do not watch the music video below before eating dinner–unless you like eating bugs.

For once, I actually agree with Stephen Harper on something…

Posted by gruesomegreg on

So, it seems that our PM is catching some flak for stating what all Calgarians already know: Calgary is the greatest city in the greatest country in the world.  His statement at the Stampede yesterday has drawn the ire of anti-Alberta NDP leader Tom Mulcair, who whined “‘I’m better than you’ is not the best way to get results.”  But it’s easy to understand Mulcair’s discontent, as his native Montreal is way down there on MoneySense’s list of best places to live.  Calgary, on the other hand, is leading the completely-scientific survey on this page with a whopping 64 per cent of the vote.  Sure, some other studies have said some other Canadian cities are slightly better than Calgary, but as our PM would put it, that’s simply not true.  In fact, I have already written at some length on this topic.

Here’s why Calgary is better than Toronto.

Here’s why Calgary is better than Edmonton.

So, how come I don’t live in Calgary anymore?  Well, let’s just say there are more opportunities for a bilingual person with a creative background to make more money in the financial industry in Toronto—whereas in Calgary, the demand for bilingual professionals is roughly equivalent to the provincial sales tax (Alberta has no PST, in case you didn’t get the hint).  And did I mention that this was the first time I’ve agreed with the Supreme Leader of the Conservative Capital of Canada?  Had I stayed, my MP for life (his life, hopefully, not mine) would be Rob Anders, who’ll hold his seat in parliament until he decides it’s time to start collecting his pension.  I would’ve made a crack about ascending to the Senate, but then again, Alberta actually elects its senators, and I can’t imagine anyone actually voting for the guy… except for the residents of Northwest Calgary, who’ll elect any buffoon decked out in Tory blue.  Erm, waitaminute.  Is it too soon to start Anders’ Senate campaign?

TOP 10 FEMALE-FRONTED STONER/DOOM BANDS GOING TODAY: 3. Mares of Thrace

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On June 13th, Portland doomsters Witch Mountain are coming to town, playing the Hard Luck Bar on Dundas.  I’ve been dying to see ‘em ever since I first heard South of Salem, their comeback album, which ended up topping my year-end list last year.  The sultry, soulful, otherworldly vocals of Uta Plotkin really give the songs a big boost.  And on this occasion, her band will be joined by another pair of female-fronted doom units in Blood Ceremony and Castle–a Toronto exclusive for both acts.  Thus, in anticipation of this estrogen-laced triple bill, I figured it was time to count down my Top 10 Female-Fronted Stoner/Doom Bands Going Today.

10. Castle

9. Cauchemar

8. Alunah

7. Rituals of the Oak

6. Reino Ermitaño

5. Kylesa

4. Witch Mountain

3. Mares of Thrace

When it comes to an outfit that made leaps and bounds from their debut to their sophomore release, looks no further than the Mares, the heaviest thing to come outta Cowtown since Hypnopilot in their heyday.  The Pilgrimage takes things up a notch for this female sludge/doom duo, Thérèse Lanz unleashing some blood-curdling guttural screams alongside her downtuned guitar work.  Hard to believe that both she and drummer Stefani MacKichan got their start in indie-rock outfit Kilbourne–their new band simply kills.  That said, their music video for “The Perpetrator” shouldn’t be watched while eating dinner.  Unless, of course, you like eating bugs…

Sled Island probably thinks they’ll make more money off indie kids than metal heads (and they’re probably right…)

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Last summer, I took a trip back to Calgary for the Sled Island music festival.  If you’ve never heard of Sled Island, it’s sort of a poor man’s NXNE.  Well okay, that’s a poor choice of words.  It’s a multi-day, multi-venue music fest in the vein of North by Northeast–but it’s definitely not for poor people.  You know how NXNE has those free concerts in Yonge-Dundas Square, right in the heart of downtown?  Well, Sled Island does something similar in Olympic Plaza–but instead of offering free admission, they charge arena-rock prices, then put up a fence to keep prying eyes away.

Alas, while I gladly if somewhat begrudgingly dished out 80 bucks to see Sleep, The Sword, Buzzcocks and Bison B.C. at the Plaza last year, it seems that they’ve lowered their prices significantly for the outdoor gigs this time around.  Although it’ll only set ya back 45 bucks per evening ($51.50 once Ticketbastard does its thang), I wouldn’t pay that much for either of this year’s gigs, even if I still lived in Calgary.  Let’s just say the heaviest band on this year’s bill is one half of Feistodon–and it’s the B Side, at that!  (Mind you, I wouldn’t travel all that way to see Mastodon, either…)

That’s right, the counting folk-pop songtress is this year’s biggest draw, with other acts including Wake Owl, Timber Timbre, Parlovr, Bonjay, Shabazz Palaces, The Dudes, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks and The Hold Steady.  (Thanks, Calgary Herald!)  Can’t say I’m familiar with any of these artists, but I’m pretty sure Al Cisneros has more volume in his bass head than the lot of ‘em combined.  Colour me disinterested.

Alas, while last year’s festival had plenty of potential, it looks like I’m not about to make it a regular thing.  In fact, I’m flying right over Calgary and heading to Seattle next month, instead.  Sled Island, I see your softened-up Boris (seriously, their last tour was pretty heavy… on the lighter side of their catalogue!) and raise you CHURCH OF MISERY.

Checkmate!

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY: Péréquation

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Péréquation: An equal redistribution of revenues or resources.

As seen in: « S’il est élu à la tête du gouvernement albertain, le Parti Wildrose entreprendra des discussions avec Ottawa pour revoir le programme de péréquation, a affirmé sa chef, mardi soir, lors d’un débat électoral qui a attiré les foules à Calgary, dans Highwood, la circonscription où elle tente de se faire élire. »

(Translation: “If elected as the next Alberta government, the Wildrose Party will initiate discussions with Ottawa to review the equalization payment program, as stated by its leader Tuesday night during an electoral debate that drew large crowds to the Calgary riding of Highwood, where she’s seeking election.”)

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ElectionsAlb2012/2012/04/18/001-wildrose-revision-perequation.shtml

Is Toronto really THAT much better than Calgary?

Posted by gruesomegreg on

So, I’ve had a couple days to digest The Economist‘s 2011 Liveability Ranking, in which both my current hometown and the city I grew up in made the Top Five.  Based on their complex calculations, Toronto ranked fourth overall, with a score of 97.2 out of 100.  Calgary was fifth, racking up a total of 96.6, which got me thinking–is Toronto really 0.6 per cent better than Calgary?

The Economist rankings are based on five categories, namely Stability, Healthcare, Culture & Environment, Education and Infrastructure.  Both cities scored a perfect 100 in three of them–Stability, Healthcare and Education–with Toronto’s eight-point advantage in Culture & Environment beating out Calgary’s seven-point edge in Infrastructure.  Don’t get me wrong, Toronto’s a lot more cultured than Cowtown.  The only thing I don’t get is how the cultural capital of Canada only scored a 97.2.  While that is the second-highest total of any city in the Top 10, there was one city that got a perfect score in that category, Vancouver.  That sure shocked the hell outta me, considering what they do for entertainment in that city.  (The scores had already been compiled before the mostly-White Riot, mind you.  The study notes “Although the riots came too late in the year to have an impact on the score of the current survey, further unrest may affect scores for the city in the future.”)

I was a little surprised by Calgary having such an edge in Infrastructure, though.  Don’t get me wrong, the city is rapidly expanding, and there are new roads, overpasses and C-Train stations every time I go back there–but for my money’s worth, the TTC is quicker and more efficient than Calgary Transit.  There, I said it.

Alas, after being born out here, moving over there when I was a kid, and returning here for university and sticking around afterwards, I’ve spent at least 12 years living in both cities.  Thus, I feel that I’m able to take a closer look at The Economist‘s study to see if Toronto is really 0.7 points better than Calgary.

 

 

 

 

 

Although I feel that Toronto’s reputation as a “dangerous city” is highly overrated (stay out of certain neighbourhoods, and you’ll be fine), statistics show that we’ve got a lot more crime than Calgary, which has only reported three homicides this year, compared to 32 for Toronto.  Not to mention that Calgary’s never been the subject of a serious terrorist threat–but Toronto has had a pretty serious one in the time since I moved out here.

ADVANTAGE: Cowtown

 

 

 

 

 

When I was living in Calgary, I had a family doctor who was almost like family.  If she didn’t know what was wrong with me when I came in, she would always figure it out.  Since I moved out here, I’ve yet to find a doctor I can trust.  I’ve been to this one clinic near my office (and where I used to live) a few times, but every time I see a different doctor there, I get a different story.  I think I only had to go to the hospital twice when I was growing up out west, and both times were relatively quick and painless, considering that my thumb had swollen up to the size of a softball the second time.  On the other hand, I checked myself into the hospital once a couple years back with some wicked stomach pains, which I feared was appendicitis.  Toronto General kept me for a full 24 hours, most of which was spent in the hallway, not even in a room, then finally discharged me without telling me what was wrong.  On the plus side, they gave me all the morphine I could ask for.

ADVANTAGE: Cowtown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now these are some interesting subcategories.  Toronto is a lot hotter and more humid than Calgary, where the air is dry and the weather unpredictable.  (It even snowed on Canada Day when I was a kid!)  I must say that I was known for my dry, hacking cough in high school, and it was only a matter of hours upon my last visit to Cowtown that I started hacking up blood.  Although the summertime’s a bitch when you don’t have air conditioning, I’m definitely more comfortable with the climate out here.

As far as corruption is concerned, I’ve seen a lot more at Queen’s Park under Dolton McSquinty (my favourite Toronto Sun nickname for him!) than we ever had in Calgary under King Ralph Klein’s rule.  Don’t get me wrong, Uncle Ralphie was a raging drunk, but he wasn’t a crook.  When he left office, he gave every Albertan a 400-dollar surplus cheque.  (Mine was sent to my parents’ house, but I still got it!)  On the other hand, I was so disgusted by the eHealth scandal that I went and voted for Rob Ford.  That said, I must admit that Calgary is more uptight and censor-y than T.O..  Technically, burlesque dancing is still illegal in Alberta…

While the first four or five categories are evenly split, Toronto takes the last four easily.  This city has seven professional sports teams, not including the Bills, who are on a five-year loan from Buffalo.  In Calgary, you’ve really only got the Flames and Stamps.  There hasn’t been an affiliated minor league baseball team in town since the Cannons moved to Albuquerque, and the Calgary Roughnecks aren’t exactly the greatest show on turf.  (That’s a lacrosse team, by the way.)

When it comes to food and drink, consumer goods and services (shopping!) and cultural availability, it’s not even close.  Anyone who would take Calgary in these categories has obviously never been to Toronto.

ADVANTAGE: T-Dot

 

 

 

Comparing the primary/secondary school system in Calgary to the post-secondary system in Toronto is apples and oranges, really.  I will say that I couldn’t have possibly done less work to earn a degree than I did by studying Magazine Journalism at university, whereas I actually had to work for (some of) my grades in junior high and high school.

ADVANTAGE: Push

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Calgary, I had to drive to get anywhere.  In Toronto, I’ve only been behind the wheel once, and that was to move my stuff two blocks east to my current apartment.  I can’t really comment on the quality of the roads out here, but like I said, Calgary’s always building and improving.  On the other hand, there always seems to be construction around Yonge & Bloor, but nothing seems to change.

That being said, I can definitely compare transit systems.  After high school, I worked in a motorcycle shop on the other side of town.  Driving there took 40 minutes, tops, when my mom let me borrow her car.  Otherwise, it was an hour and a half on Calgary Transit, taking two buses and the C-Train, which didn’t go as far as my neighbourhood.  (They’ve since extended it.)  After university, my first job was in Scarborough.  It took me 45 minutes on the TTC to get to work via the Bloor-Danforth line and the 34 Eglinton bus, unless there was a delay.  One morning, when the subway broke down, I took a taxi from St. George to Pape that took almost as long and cost me 20 dollars.  The bottom line, I guess, is that it’s better to drive in Calgary, but The Better Way is the best way to get to work out of all of the above.

International links?  Well, Pearson’s a lot larger than Calgary International, and it’s a lot easier to get to and from the airport to downtown.  I think I saw a bus when I was last in Calgary that went to one of the newer subway stations in the Northeast–which still a long way from the heart of the city.

On another note, the house I grew up in was a lot nicer than any of the places I’ve lived in since, and there have been several.  I should also mention that two summers ago, my basement apartment in the Annex (I no longer live there) was subject to three or four blackouts that lasted at least half an hour.  That never happened to me in Calgary.

Looks like we’re about even till we look at the cities’ administration.  I’ve witnessed the growth of Calgary’s infrastructure under Dave Bronconnier, and as someone who only comes back to Calgary every year or two, it really seems impressive.  From what little I’ve heard about new mayor Nenshi, I think the city’s well-positioned moving forward.  On the other hand, Toronto has Rob Ford, who put the kibosh on Transit City and walks to get rid of bike lanes, too.  I don’t like where this is going…

ADVANTAGE: Cowtown

So there you have it, folks.  Much like your typical Flames-Leafs game, the final score is Calgary 3, Toronto 1.  Did I mention that Calgary also has better jobs,  tastier brews and that its Sled Island music festival kicked the shit outta this year’s NXNE?  So why don’t I move back there?  Well, I don’t have any experience in engineering or design and I’m one good solid day’s worth of warehouse work away from a massive heart attack.  I think I’ll stick to my downtown desk job in a city where French is a career asset, not just a language you use to make fun of people behind their backs.

If I had somewhere else to go, you know I’d be the first to leave…

Peace,

Greg