One Flashlight, Zero Firewood, and a Whole Lot of Crossroads Snacks

Dear Scoopers,

This week started with a very impulsive Wednesday decision: someone said "we should go camping," and by Thursday night we were somehow in a tent with zero of the supplies actual campers seem to have.

No firewood.

One flashlight, shared between two people who both insisted the other one had it. A cooler that was 80% ice by morning and 100% regret.

Did we mention hail?

Not a Hail Mary… no, the hard, pelting kind.

10/10 would impulsively commit to sleeping outside again for what can best be described as a free tapotement massage.

We are, however, buying a second flashlight before this becomes a pattern.

Then the weekend rolled around and we did the thing where you go to Crossroads Market "just to look" and leave two hours later with a candle, a jar of something spicy, and zero memory of how either ended up in your hands.

We went in for a snack. We left having sampled our body weight in things we couldn't pronounce, bought a jaunty hat we didn't need, and had a full conversation with a vendor about honey that ran significantly longer than either of us planned.

We regret nothing. Okay, we might regret the honey conversation slightly.

In THE 403: Calgary's building an entire new neighbourhood in East Victoria Park (yes, a WHOLE one), Heritage Park's been hiding free concerts from us all summer, City Hall just launched its first-ever wildfire campaign, and a folding table at Marda Gras taught us more than we expected about Inn From The Cold's 90% success rate.

We’re currently on the hunt for batteries for both flashlights in the event we join the September Long Weekenders.

In THE 403: A 15-year-old just brought home a BMX world championship, a marmot hitched a ride from Kananaskis straight into someone's garage, and Stephen Avenue just got its glow-up (free parking included). Plus, your muffler might owe the city $270 if you're not careful on 17th.

Anyway — Still deciding if that jacket is coming with us.

Let's get to it.

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$1 Billion Later, This Neighbourhood Is Almost Unrecognizable

East Victoria Park, you're quietly turning into a whole new neighbourhood and most of us are still calling you "the area by the Stampede grounds."

The Culture + Entertainment District has a $1 billion+ price tag in projects completed or underway, four million square feet of new development coming, and room for 8,000+ new residents. Scotia Place is going up. Stampede Trail is getting turned into four blocks of pedestrian-only festival space. A new underpass. A new LRT gateway at 17 Ave SE that hasn't existed in over a hundred years.

We are talking about a 20-year master plan that started in 2018, and somehow it's still sneaking up on us in real time.

Yes, there's construction. Yes, there are lane closures. Yes, you will probably have opinions about detours at some point this year.

But also: this is the same neighbourhood that's about to have 700+ new hotel rooms within walking distance of the BMO Centre, a reimagined Arts Commons, and an actual walkable, festival-ready district connecting the Bow and Elbow Rivers.

We are choosing to be patient about the orange cones.

Mostly. See the Latest Here

We Showed Up Without a Lawn Chair and Regretted Everything

Heritage Park, we need to talk about the fact that you've been hosting free concerts every Wednesday all summer and nobody thought this was worth mentioning to us.

Live music. 6 to 8pm. A rotating lineup of Calgary's best emerging bands, right there in the plaza.

Free. Not "free with a suggested donation." Not "free if you sign up for something." Free.

We showed up with zero expectations and, critically, no lawn chair.

Everyone else had a lawn chair.

Everyone else had clearly cracked this code long before we did.

We stood there with our popcorn, watching seasoned Music in the Plaza veterans set up camp like it was a tailgate, quietly recalculating our entire summer.

We are now the kind of people who Check the LineUp a Week in Advance

90% — The Marda Gras Stat We Can't Stop Thinking About

There was a folding table at Marda Gras between the raffle booth and the lemonade stand.

We were not expecting it to be the highlight of our afternoon.

Inn from the Cold — Alberta's only dedicated family shelter — has been at this since 1997. Emergency shelter, up to 30 days. A case manager the whole way through. Then supportive housing on the other side of it.

We were fully prepared for a pamphlet.

Instead we got a number that stopped us mid-lemonade: 90% of families who go through it land in stable housing after.

Not "some." Not "many, results may vary."

Ninety percent.

We stood there nodding slowly, doing our best impression of a composed adult processing information, when really we were just a nonprofit table away from becoming insufferable at dinner parties.

We are now that person at the dinner party.

Nobody asked. We're telling you anyway.

If you've got a minute, or a dollar, or an afternoon — They Are Worth Knowing About

This Is Calgary's First Wildfire Campaign — Ever

Calgary Fire Department, is it a true fact that this is somehow our FIRST-EVER wildfire prevention campaign?

Not the fifth. Not the tenth.

The first.

Running Aug. 3 to Sept. 6, it's the City's first dedicated push to get Calgarians thinking about wildfire risk — not "somewhere up north" wildfire risk, "your own backyard" wildfire risk.

Here's the number that got our attention: as of July, Calgary Fire had already responded to more wildland fire incidents this year than some entire years saw between 2017 and 2020.

Combined. One year. Already ahead of several full years.

Turns out Calgary quietly deals with an average of 23 wildland fires a month, and apparently we've just been going about our summers without thinking twice about it.

We are now the kind of people who know what "FireSmart" means.

We did not see that one coming either. This Is What the City is Asking of You

Meet Lola, professional cuddler and part-time human blanket.

She's a 3-year-3-month-old Pit Bull Terrier mix, 59 pounds, and shelter life was clearly not her scene — she landed in a foster home almost immediately, and that's apparently all it took for her real personality to show up.

Give her a minute to warm up, and then don't be surprised when the full weight of her decides your lap is now hers. No permission needed.

She's already made herself comfortable.

When she's not aggressively snuggling, she's into tug-of-war, the occasional zoomie lap around the yard, and what can only be described as competitive-level sunbathing.

How to adopt: Visit the Calgary Humane Society. See her profile

57.89% of you nailed last week’s inner city pie in the sky at $725,000! Check out the listing.

This week we’ve left the high-rise for this charming character home, built in 1912!

Take a good look at the photos and cast your vote (just hit reply and shoot us an email with your guess).

What do you think this home in Calgary is listed for?

Tuesday, August 18

Rogers Charity Classic — Practice Rounds | Canada's lone stop on the PGA TOUR Champions gets underway with practice rounds as 78 golf legends prep for tournament play. Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club, all day. Tickets

Wednesday, August 19

Music in the Plaza: Fish Creek Concerts Presents Over the Moon | Free weekly outdoor concert series continues with a rising local act. Heritage Park, Engineered Air Gazebo, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Details

Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers' Market | The midweek outdoor market returns to Kensington. 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Details

Thursday, August 20

Taste of Asia opens | A four-day culinary journey through the flavours of Asia — food vendors, cultural performances, and family activities. Calgary Parking Lot #6, 311 8 St S.W. Runs through Aug. 23. Details

Bridgeland-Riverside Farmers Market | 30+ vendors, food trucks, and live music outside the BRCA Hall. 917 Centre Ave NE, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Details

Movie on the Rise | Double screening of A Bug's Life and 10 Things I Hate About You. Watch the sunset over the city and take in an outdoor movie experience Details

Friday, August 21

Country Thunder Alberta opens | A three-day country music festival with big-name headliners and a full campground scene. Burnswest Theatre, The Confluence. Runs through Aug. 23. Tickets

FallCon 39 opens | Calgary's long-running tabletop and board game convention — game library, prototype alley, and a Saturday-night live board game auction. TELUS Convention Centre. Runs through Aug. 23. Details

Taste of Asia continues | Calgary Parking Lot #6. Details

Saturday, August 22

Country Thunder Alberta continues | Burnswest Theatre, The Confluence. Tickets

FallCon 39 continues | TELUS Convention Centre. Details

DandyFest | An indie showcase featuring Ada Lea, Charlotte Cornfield, Otto Benson, Escape-ism, Sunglaciers, and You Doo Right. Details

YYCFanFair | A free celebration of fandom — comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, with vendors from across the city. 1st St SE & 3 Ave SE. Details

Markets in the Plaza | Shop local vendors at Heritage Park. 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Details

Taste of Asia continues | Calgary Parking Lot #6. Details

Sunday, August 23

Country Thunder Alberta closes | Final day of the festival. Burnswest Theatre, The Confluence. Tickets

FallCon 39 closes | Final day of gaming, panels, and the exhibitor hall. TELUS Convention Centre. Details

Taste of Asia closes | Final day. Calgary Parking Lot #6. Details

Brewery & The Beast | A premium culinary experience featuring the finest cuts of meat from a standout lineup of chefs. Spruce Meadows, 18011 Spruce Meadows Way SW. Tickets

Rogers Charity Classic — Final Round | The tournament's closing round crowns this year's champion. Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club. Tickets

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