The City of Calgary: Where Yuppies Go to Die
(and spawn, and make money from exploiting human and environmental resources, and ignore the massive poverty and drug problems, and learn how to accessorize with tack gear and bolo ties)
I tried. I really did try.
Usually when I go down to Calgary my visit is pretty purposeful and it’s a quick n’ dirty foray. But this time I had a little extra time on my hands, so I figured I’d actually try and get to know the city a bit better, maybe I would come to not hate it. I’m afraid it’s just not to be, I just can’t warm to this city.
The area of town I was staying in was a wee bit sketchy, so it didn’t start off well. Okay, I was a little thrown off by all the poverty downtown, but I suppose that can be expected. It’s pretty much par for the course nowadays: massive economic boom = massive growth in poverty in downtown core. But what really threw me for a loop was the scale of the drug problem in the city. I had absolutely no idea it was so bad. And we’re not talking essentially non-drugs like THC. We’re talking hardcore crack, cocaine, and heroin. I had the dubious pleasure of startling a couple of meth-heads taking hits while walking home one evening (meth addicts of course being pretty much the last people you want to ‘startle’ doing anything).
And of course, there’s oppressive corporate feel of the Calgary. I’ve always kind of had that feeling when I’ve gone there. But as I wandered the downtown looking for a Starbucks (yes, I’m aware of the irony here, but I had a coupon and I’m broke, remember?) it became even more apparent. I stopped for a moment and looked up to see myself standing between “Banker’s Hall” and the “Oil Tower” and thought ‘nope, this is soooooo not the place for me’.
Kudos for the funky places on 17th, but I just can’t shake the feeling that despite the words on the ‘ole birth certificate, I just don’t belong in Cowtown.
But their folk fest is FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC! Details on that coming soon…
But hey, who says Calgary's homophobic?
I tried. I really did try.
Usually when I go down to Calgary my visit is pretty purposeful and it’s a quick n’ dirty foray. But this time I had a little extra time on my hands, so I figured I’d actually try and get to know the city a bit better, maybe I would come to not hate it. I’m afraid it’s just not to be, I just can’t warm to this city.
The area of town I was staying in was a wee bit sketchy, so it didn’t start off well. Okay, I was a little thrown off by all the poverty downtown, but I suppose that can be expected. It’s pretty much par for the course nowadays: massive economic boom = massive growth in poverty in downtown core. But what really threw me for a loop was the scale of the drug problem in the city. I had absolutely no idea it was so bad. And we’re not talking essentially non-drugs like THC. We’re talking hardcore crack, cocaine, and heroin. I had the dubious pleasure of startling a couple of meth-heads taking hits while walking home one evening (meth addicts of course being pretty much the last people you want to ‘startle’ doing anything).
And of course, there’s oppressive corporate feel of the Calgary. I’ve always kind of had that feeling when I’ve gone there. But as I wandered the downtown looking for a Starbucks (yes, I’m aware of the irony here, but I had a coupon and I’m broke, remember?) it became even more apparent. I stopped for a moment and looked up to see myself standing between “Banker’s Hall” and the “Oil Tower” and thought ‘nope, this is soooooo not the place for me’.
Kudos for the funky places on 17th, but I just can’t shake the feeling that despite the words on the ‘ole birth certificate, I just don’t belong in Cowtown.
But their folk fest is FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC! Details on that coming soon…
But hey, who says Calgary's homophobic?
posted by Electrolucy @ 12:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home