Cool 1960s Map of Calgary

I found this cool map while browsing Reddit. You can really get an idea of how some of the outlying areas that used to be connected via rail were in their own self tiny towns. Forest Lawn, Midnapore, of course Bowness, overall lying areas that were eventually consumed by the growing city. Can also see another airport up on the hill by what is now WestHills. Really amazing to see how this city is grown such a short period of time it makes you wonder what it will look like in the next 50 years.

Uber to Calgary

Ridesharing service Uber is trying to make inroads in Calgary. The only problem? The taxi commission. Taxis basically run the town when it comes to their services. On one hand it's because taxi medallions are pretty petty and to lose that exclusivity means many people who rely on this investment may lose it all. On the other hand, taxes are both expensive and in high demand periods they aren't available. It doesn't help matters that there are routine stories of for taxi service. In comes Uber, which for most major cities in North America the Service is no problem. For some reason they run up against a wall in Calgary. The City is trying to enforce their taxi bylaws and are behind the eight ball when it comes to innovating their policies. They are trying to figure out a way to accommodate the new service which at this point seems to be unstoppable. It's going to roll out in the city is just a matter of what kind of policies will be in place to govern. Insurance doesn't seem to be a problem because Uber drivers are required to hold a certain level of insurance and Uber themselves has over two and a half times the required minimum of insurance coverage. One things for sure, consumers will demand a Service that ends up being cheaper any be readily available in comparison to the existing taxi system. The flip side of this or the Uber Driver themselves. Although may seem attractive at first to become a driver, for the the most part there suggest you can't make an honest living by driving alone. The costs are too high and the Commission is too low.

Just a wee funnel hits Calgary

Scary moments in Calgary as multiple funnel clouds swirled around the city on July 22. No damage from the twister that touched down somewhere around Priddis (SW of the City). Here are some shots of the afternoon.

Calgary Funnel Cloud July 22, 2015 from Imaginea Energy on Vimeo.

I happened to be shooting a time-lapse of a thunderstorm approaching down town from the 26th floor of Jamieson Place. This storm produced a large funnel cloud that lasted several minutes. In the wide angle shot you can see the strong rotation in the clouds on the left, which is where the funnel cloud formed moments later. Then I went tighter on where the funnel cloud formed. If only those darn buildings would have moved out of the way!
Wes Pohl,
Imaginea Energy Corp.

What to do with the massive hail that fell in some areas in South Calgary? Drinks of course.

World Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Another accolade for Calgary's mayor. Naheed Nenshi won the award for world mayor put on by the 'World Mayor' association. The award holds some clout, only just for writing rates, as there are number of big names and cities on the list for prior winners. Congrats, hopefully that's secondary suit proposal can go through at some point.... http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2014/world-mayor-2014-winners.html