Happy Monday, beautiful people of Calgary!
Some buildings are just buildings. The Ship & Anchor is not one of them. For 35 years, that corner of 17th Ave has been a classroom, a living room, and a very loud church for anyone who needed it. Now it needs us to show up. If you've ever had a moment there—a first date, a terrible band, a perfect pint—this is the week to speak up.
Beyond the drama, we have a stacked week: two massive Flames home games (Leafs Monday, Oilers Wednesday), Block Heater at its brand new home, and a Dog of the Week who goes by Moose and takes commands very seriously.
Let's get to it.
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The Ship & Anchor fights for its future. After 35 years of serving pints and hosting punk shows on 17th Ave, the Ship is asking for backup. A new proposal aims to build five storeys of apartments directly above the venue. Owner James Ballantyne warns that soundproofing a live music venue against residential condos is nearly impossible, and future noise complaints could end the pub's three-decade run. The developer insists the venue is safe, but the Ship is urging regulars to speak up before permits are approved. Read the full story
Coke Canada opens $75M facility. Coke Canada Bottling has opened a new 12-storey warehouse in northeast Calgary. The $75 million "Combo Centre" consolidates the company’s manufacturing, sales, and warehouse operations into a single hub. The facility uses automated systems to move 20,000 pallets and retains approximately 500 local jobs. The company states this move centralizes their western logistics in Calgary, eliminating the need for third-party storage. See the details
Block Heater moves to The Confluence. The Calgary Folk Music Festival’s winter edition, Block Heater, is back this week (Feb 5–7), but it has a new home. The festival is leaving Inglewood for The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary). The new setup utilizes the historic barracks and a large heated tent for the main stage. It is a significant shift for the festival, aiming to centralize the winter vibes in a single, walkable hub. See the lineup
Head offices stimulate the "Ultra-Luxury" market A new report highlights a split in Calgary’s real estate. While the broader market fluctuates, the "ultra-luxury" segment is energized by corporate relocations. The data shows that incoming head offices are fueling demand for high-end properties, insulating this top-tier bracket from the cooling trends affecting everyone else. Read the report
This is Moose. He is a 17-week-old German Shepherd mix who is already smarter than most of us. Weighing in at 28 lbs, Moose is a "treat-motivated genius" who has already mastered sit, down, and shake a paw. He is polite, focused, and ready to learn, but he needs a leader.
Because he thrives on structure, he is strictly looking for an experienced, adult-only home with a fenced yard where he can burn off that puppy energy.
If you want a loyal partner for training, hiking, and enrichment games, Moose is your guy.
How to adopt: Call City of Calgary Animal Services at 3-1-1. See his profile
Monday
Flames vs. Leafs | The Leafs are in town for a massive Monday night game. Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. Tickets
The Penguin Walk | The King Penguins take their daily stroll at 10:30 a.m. sharp. It is free with your Zoo admission. Check status
Tuesday
Afro-Fusion Dance | Kick off Black History Month with a free dance workshop at Crowfoot Library. Starts at 1:00 p.m. Details
Monstress (Tue–Sun) | The mystery about a writer who can’t escape his own stories. Get tickets
Wednesday
Flames vs. Oilers | The Battle of Alberta. Yes, two huge home games in three days. Puck drop at 6:30 p.m. Tickets
Vintage Night Market | Part of the East Village Live series, this market kicks off the Cold Spell festival inside a heated tent at The Confluence. Shop retro finds from 10+ vendors while DJs spin vinyl. Runs 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Details
Shelving Comics Talk | Graphic novelist Alex Assan gives a free talk at the Central Library about the art of graphic novels. Starts at 6:00 p.m. Register
Thursday–Sunday Lookahead
Block Heater (Thu–Sat) | The Folk Fest’s winter edition kicks off Thursday at its new home, The Confluence. Get passes
Exposure Photography Festival (Thu) | The city-wide photography takeover begins, with galleries hosting exhibits all month. More info
The Boss of It All (Thu–Sat) | It’s the final weekend to catch this corporate satire at The Theatre. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
Hansel & Gretel (Fri) | Calgary Opera performs the Grimm fairy tale at the Jubilee. 7:30 p.m.. Get tickets
Mecha Mayhem (Fri–Sun) | The BMO Centre hosts one of the world’s largest robotics tournaments. Free to watch. Info
Want your event to be featured? Hit reply and send us the details. If it's cool, we'll share it with Calgary.
Virago | The Blues Can | Mon, 7:30 PM Info
Punk Rock Bingo | Ship & Anchor | Tue, 7:00 PM Info
Tom Phillips & The DTs | The Blues Can | Tue, 8:00 PM Info
The Penske File | Ship & Anchor | Wed, 9:00 PM Info
Open Mic | Ironwood Stage | Wed, 7:00 PM Info
Hey! Driver | King Eddy | Thu, 7:30 PM Tickets
Ship Show (Drag/Burlesque) | Ship & Anchor | Thu, 8:30 PM Info
BirdBelly | King Eddy | Fri, 8:30 PM Tickets
Void Souls | Palomino Smokehouse | Fri, 8:00 PM Tickets
Taurus Ranch | Ironwood Stage | Fri, 8:00 PM Info
S.K. Wellington | King Eddy | Sat, 8:30 PM Tickets
Black Mastiff | Palomino Smokehouse | Sat, 8:00 PM Tickets
Rev Frank w/ Wandering Vs | Ironwood Stage | Sat, 8:00 PM Info
Have a great week.
P.S. Forward this to someone who has run into three people they know at a single Costco trip.