Hello, beautiful people of Calgary!
Calgary's lilacs are out in full bloom right now, doing their best to ignore a four-day downpour. (To be fair, June has never pretended to be predictable around here.) With a boating advisory up on the Bow and the river running brown and fast, Sunday's 4th Street Lilac Festival is quietly praying the forecast clears up in time.
In this week's issue: school bus fees are facing a nearly 40 percent jump, the Humane Society is pushing back against pet-unfriendly rentals, the Emergency Services Career Fair just wrapped its biggest year yet, and the Bleriot Ferry is back in the water for the summer.
Your event calendar leans heavily into the weekend—the Stampeders have their home opener on Friday, the Black Keys launch the Spruce Meadows summer series, and the Calgary Phil takes on Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Plus, we have a new corner ridge lot for you to price-guess.
Let's get to it.
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The Humane Society and the City are going after Calgary's pet-unfriendly rentals. Last Tuesday, the Calgary Humane Society and the City launched a city-wide push to tackle a simple math problem: 53 per cent of Calgarians own a pet, and fewer than 10 per cent of low-cost rentals will let those pets through the door. The shelter takes in over 500 surrendered animals a year for housing reasons alone. The new program is mostly resources for both sides — pet policies and screening templates for landlords, "pet resumes" and references for tenants, plus emergency boarding for people in a housing crunch. The exec director's framing did the most work in the announcement: "Landlords aren't necessarily pet adverse — they're risk-averse." If you're renting with a pet or know someone hunting, the resource hub is live. See the program
Your kid's school bus is about to cost $500. The CBE is bumping general transportation fees from $360 to $500 per rider next year — a 39 per cent jump, the biggest single-year hike anyone can remember. Kindergarten one-way fees go from $180 to $250. The board blames drained reserves and rising fuel and labour costs. There's a flexible payment option and the board says no student gets cut off for non-payment, so if the new number lands hard at your house, ask about the assistance pathway before the deadline rather than after. Read the breakdown
Calgary's nicest 90-minute road trip is open for the season. The Bleriot Ferry — Alberta's oldest cable ferry, in service since 1913 — is back running just north of Drumheller, and the ride still costs nothing. Hop in the car, drive 90 minutes east on Highway 9, and the ferryman pulls you across the Red Deer River in five to seven minutes flat. Season runs to October 30, daily 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Badlands are right there waiting on the other side, which is the actual point. See the schedule
The Emergency Services Career Fair wrapped its third year last weekend at the Multi-Agency Training Centre, with the CFD, Calgary Police, ALTA Paramedic Health, Transit Public Safety, Bylaw, and 911 all on-site for demos and recruitment. Sunday's Women on the Front Line day was dedicated to women considering frontline careers. If it piqued your interest: the CFD's recruitment intake opens today and runs through June 30, with 120–150 probationary firefighter positions up for grabs — last year drew over 2,700 applications. Read the recap
This is Pumpkin Pie, an 11-month-old female Large Mixed Breed who weighs 66 pounds (with a little more growing to do). Her name does most of the work on its own — which feels fair, given the rest of her.
She's smart, toy-motivated, and a little bit obsessed with fetch, squirrels, and water. An active home willing to put that brain to work would do well by her, and a couple of training treats go a long way. Her best friend at the shelter is Diesel, who Scoop readers will remember from a few weeks back, so she'd love a confident resident dog to make friends with. She lives in a foster home, so the regular booking calendar won't get you a meeting — fill out the Adopt From Foster form and the team will set one up.
How to adopt: Visit the Calgary Humane Society. See her profile
Last week, only 30.8% of you got it right. The answer was $475,000, on Aspen Hills Villas SW in Aspen Hills (which more than a few of you guessed). The middle option pulled most of the vote at 56.4%, while just 12.8% reached for the top number.
This week we're staying in suburbia but bumping up from shared walls to full family-detached. The listing is a 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom 2-storey on a corner ridge lot — pet-free, smoke-free, with rare 9-foot ceilings on all three levels.
Take a good look at the photos and cast your vote. Bonus points if you can guess the neighbourhood (just hit reply and shoot us an email with your guess).
Tuesday, June 2
The Verdict — final week at Vertigo Theatre | The courtroom thriller wraps its run on June 7. Tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
Wednesday, June 3
Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers' Market | The midweek market is in season — 3 to 7 p.m. at 1320 5 Ave NW. Details
Superheaven at The Palace Theatre | The Pennsylvania alt-rockers headline, with Modern Color and All Under Heaven opening. Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Tickets
IGNITE! Festival of Emerging Artists opens at Pumphouse Theatre | Sage Theatre's annual four-day showcase of early-career playwrights, performers, and multidisciplinary work across two stages. Runs through June 6. Details
Thursday, June 4
FunnyFest Comedy Festival continues | The 26th annual fest runs through June 7 at venues across the city. Schedule
Friday, June 5
Calgary Stampeders home opener vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | The Red and White open the 2026 regular season at McMahon. 7 p.m. Tickets
Calgary Phil — Hans Graf Returns: A Midsummer Night's Dream | Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at Jack Singer. Tickets
The Black Keys at Spruce Meadows | First night of the Live & Intimate series, in the Equi-Plex with Jeremie Albino opening. 18+. Also Saturday. Tickets
Zoo Brew at the Wilder Institute | 30+ beverage vendors spread across the zoo grounds, plus food. 18+, $99 GA. Doors 6 p.m. (VIP 5 p.m.). Tickets
Make Parties Fun Again — 2010s Night at The Palace Theatre | LMFAO, early Drake, peak Katy Perry, Soulja Boy — the full 2010s songbook on DJ Dillon's deck. 18+, doors 9 p.m., free RSVP before 9:30. Tickets
Saturday, June 6
Voices of Canada — Black Music Month at Studio Bell | Free admission all day. Details
Cavalry FC vs. Halifax Wanderers | Canadian Premier League at Spruce Meadows. Goalkeeper Marco Carducci is back at ATCO Field, now in Halifax colours. 5 p.m. Tickets
Sunday, June 7
4th Street Lilac Festival | Six stages, 70+ performances, 500+ vendors stretched along 4th Street SW from 12th Ave to Elbow Drive, plus 17th Ave between 2nd and 5th. Free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details
Want your event to be featured? Hit reply and send us the details. If it's cool, we'll share it with Calgary.
Joel Warren | Gravity Espresso | Tue, 6:30 p.m. Details
Tom Phillips & The DTs (Honky-Tonk Tuesdays) | The Blues Can | Tue, 8:00 p.m. Details
Open Mic | Ironwood Stage | Wed, 7:00 p.m. Details
Up in Smoke (housefire benefit) | King Eddy | Wed, 7:30 p.m. Details
Brian McCullough Band (Wing Wednesday) | The Blues Can | Wed, 8:00 p.m. Details
Little Ole Wine Drinker | Gravity Espresso | Thu, 6:30 p.m. Details
Kieran Campbell & Dakota Cooney | King Eddy | Thu, 7:30 p.m. Get tickets
Alfie Zappacosta | The Blues Can | Thu, 8:00 p.m. Get tickets
TmanGroup Pres. SKYVAK | Commonwealth Bar & Stage | Thu, 9:00 p.m. Details
Tom Phillips (Lunchtime) | The Blues Can | Fri, noon Details
Happy Hour with Michela Sheedy | King Eddy | Fri, 4:30 p.m. Details
Blue Rock Junction | Ironwood Stage | Fri, 8:00 p.m. Get tickets
Void Souls with Buns | King Eddy | Fri, 8:30 p.m. Get tickets
Psychic Spies | The Blues Can | Fri, 9:00 p.m. Get tickets
Coda Club, Shy Friend & Solhound | Palomino Smokehouse | Fri, 9:00 p.m. Get tickets
Supersuckers w/ Scott H. Biram | Dickens Pub | Fri, 9:00 p.m. Get tickets
CU Friday Pres. Niteshade (release party) | Commonwealth Bar & Stage | Fri, 10:00 p.m. Details
Acoustic Afternoons with Liz Christensen | King Eddy | Sat, 11:30 a.m. Details
Bluegrass Sessions with Al LaMonaca | Ironwood Stage | Sat, 2:00 p.m. Details
The Fragments | Ironwood Stage | Sat, 8:00 p.m. Get tickets
Eden Taylor w/ Luc Roach | King Eddy | Sat, 8:30 p.m. Get tickets
Tone Patrol | The Blues Can | Sat, 9:00 p.m. Get tickets
The Evergreen Standard, Des Arcs & Grey Deceiver | Palomino Smokehouse | Sat, 9:00 p.m. Get tickets
BROSA @ Common Saturdays | Commonwealth Bar & Stage | Sat, 10:00 p.m. Details
Songsmith Sundays with Carter Felker | King Eddy | Sun, 11:30 a.m. Details
Rattle n' Strum (Heather Blush) | Ironwood Stage | Sun, 2:00 p.m. Details
Sunday Night Blues Jam | The Blues Can | Sun, 8:00 p.m. Details
Paeton Cameron House Band | King Eddy | Mon, 4:30 p.m. Details
Have a great week.
P.S. Forward this to someone who memorized their credit card number.