Jill Browne, from home and away

Friday, April 8, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A quick trip to the airport yesterday. Since we were already up at the north end of the city, decided to go a little further up the road and check out the monster shopping centre, Cross Iron Mills.

I’ve been there twice before. The first was to check out the Bass Pro shop, when it was about the only thing open and built on the whole site.

I’d never heard of Bass Pro before. This hunting and fishing supply store not only stocks everything from fish hooks to power boats and quads, it also has more taxidermy on display than I can remember seeing in the Provincial Museum. A herd of caribou being attacked by wolves, for example.

Each time I think of the store, I try to do the mental calculation of what the fixtures and fittings must have cost. I get bogged down though, because I’m not up on the market price of black bears, let alone the more exotic critters.

Today we didn’t go to Bass Pro, but into one of the several free-standing parts of the mall.

It’s all pretty new still, and clean, but even when it was brand new, it looked like it was built to last no more than 15 years. Maybe that’s the trend: disposable shopping centres.

If it wasn’t such a warped analogy, I’d say this is like natural succession from grassland to forest. The farmer’s field became a mall. First there are recognized mid-range brands. Then it will slide a bit, and the occasional dollar store will creep in. Maybe a no-name liquidator and a quick cash pawn shop. Empty stores. The odd bit of vandalism.

The For Sale sign will go up, the mall will come down, and row upon row of new houses will appear. By that time, all the surrounding farms will be gone, turned into housing subdivisions themselves.

We’ll see in 2021 or so whether I was right about this.

To be fair, people who like shopping probably love this mall. It’s got lots of stores, lots of parking, and lots of space.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The best thing about living in southern Alberta might just be that beautiful blue sky. Had it back again today. The temp was about -10 at mid-day. Perfect.

Took the dogs for a walk and chipped some hard snow off the sidewalk. Still have more to do but it’s not dangerous as is.

Chinatown, Calgary, corner of Centre Street and 4th Ave SE. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

The Harry Hays Building, Downtown Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 22, 2011.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I took the dogs out for a walk, since it was sunny and not nearly as cold as it’s been this week. Only about -10 C.

This picture from about two weeks ago shows the east side of the Harry Hays Building on 4th Avenue SE, right downtown. Many people know it as the place you go for passports, though in recent years there has been a more convenient office in the deep south. (More convenient for anyone who doesn’t have to go downtown and isn’t in the far north end of the city. Free parking.)

I remember going there for tax stuff once upon a time, and also I think I had a job interview in there where they fingerprinted me. When I asked if they would destroy the finger prints if I didn’t get the job, I was met with stares of complete incomprehension. Who knows, maybe I’m on file.  That must be what’s been curbing my criminal tendencies lo these many years.

The Harry Hays is one of the few office buildings at the east end of downtown. Very convenient for Chinese food.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Here are more of the pics I took yesterday while driving around, mainly from the south to downtown and back.

Today’s highlight was breakfast at Pfanntastic Pannekoek Haus, a Dutch pancake house on Crowchild Trail just south of 50th Avenue SW. You can get to it from northbound Crowchild, but if you are southbound, take the 50th Ave exit and head left (east), and work your way south a couple of blocks. Easy.

Mine was bacon, raisins, apple. Suzanne had brown sugar and lemon juice. Our mystery guest had the same as I did. All enjoyed the meal.

This is a Calgary classic and always reliable for a tasty and filling mid-day or even evening meal. The pancakes are giant crepes that lie flat on the plate. You get one, with your choice of 80 topping selections (including some combos). Very tasty. One is a meal.

Yesterday’s driving pics.

Crane images on Zoo overpass. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Pedestrian ramp to reach Bridgeland C-Train station by crossing Memorial Drive. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Where the Calgary General Hospital used to be. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Copper domes on church. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Entering downtown on the 4th Avenue flyover. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Booker's for seafood. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

New condo apartments for sale near the Bow River. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, February 22, 2011.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

No kids at school today. Family Day, an Alberta holiday originally, because we needed something to relieve us in February. I see that Ontario has got it now too.

But Peggy the mail lady still had to do her rounds, because federal workers do not have Family Day. They have to enjoy their nearest and dearest on their own time, in this particular instance.

Here are some more pictures of Calgary from my 2011 collection.

Cecil Hotel (the green building). Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Plus 15 near Centre Street. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 1, 2011.

Calgary Chamber of Commerce building. Photo by Jill Browne, January 3, 2011.

Calgary Tower, with new Bow Building on the left. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Workers on Bow Building site, No. 1 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Workers on Bow Building site, No. 2 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Bow Building site, No. 3 of 3. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Lounging at home, trying to get some work done, managing to actually do that.

The Heritage Classic outdoor hockey game was on at McMahon Stadium today, but I didn’t pay attention, I’m afraid. Glad to hear Calgary Flames won it!

It wasn’t as cold as yesterday, so I hope the people in the stands were comfortable.

Playing hockey outside is a great idea. I’m so glad the NHL has the outdoor classic.

Some pics from 2011 so far.

In the distance, the copper dome of a church, seen from the 4th Avenue flyover. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Entering downtown on 4th Ave SE. Bow Building on left and Harry Hays on right (brown horizontal stripes). Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, January 3, 2011.

Cupola of former James Short School. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 3, 2011.

A big hardware store and parking lot, Shawnessy, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 5, 2011.

Grey sky with snow lightly falling, Shawnessy, Calgary. Photo by Jill Browne, February 5, 2011.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A colder day with light snow falling and a very grey sky. The camera flare exaggerates the sun; really it was just a dull yellow hole in an even duller sky.

I didn’t mean these pics to be depressing but they really don’t have much life to them!

We had to go out foraging for food and office supplies, thus ending up at this mall in Shawnessy. The mall is at MacLeod Trail and Highway 22X, but there is a lot more of Calgary even south of there. If you haven’t been here for a while you may be surprised at how much the city has expanded. This is the last shopping I can think of this far south on MacLeoad, though.

Calgary's Fish Creek Library looking like a pyramid at night. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 3, 2011.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I didn’t go out looking for a picture of a pyramid today. As I walked across the parking lot, the silhouette of the library made it look like a classic Egyptian pyramid. This as Egypt is in the middle of turmoil.

Usually, this is just a library, and usually it looks silver. It is not a pure pyramid in shape. What you can’t see here is a kind of bisecting gash designed in the top one-third or so.

Plus 15, by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 31, 2011.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

It’s about -25 Celsius today for the high. In Medicine Hat, where it gets quite hot in summer, it was -41 with wind chill this morning. (At 40 below, Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same: bloody cold).

I’m grateful to the late Harold Hanen, architect, who promoted the Plus-15 walkway concept here in Calgary, as part of trying to make us a “livable winter city”. As shown in the picture, the Plus-15s are walkways, 15 feet up in the air, connecting many of the downtown buildings. Admittedly, it can take quite a bit longer to go a few blocks via Plus-15, as compared to going outside, but for any distance, they’re great when the weather isn’t so nice.

There has been debate about these things since the idea first came up. “They’ll take away pedestrians from street level! Downtown will be dead!” is the gist of the anti-Plus-15 argument. (Here’s a recent Calgary Herald article about it.)

I beg to differ. Downtown is not dead; the pedestrian life is happening inside when the weather’s poor.

I also take exception to the point in the Calgary Herald article that the Bow building is somehow a better element of “livable winter city” design than the Plus-15.

The article says:

“Calgary planners are starting to think more about the entire year in their work. David Downs, a senior architect and the co-ordinator of urban design and heritage with the City of Calgary, points to The Bow tower under construction downtown as an example. It was designed to maximize sunlight year-round and was aligned to minimize the impact of winter winds. That makes it more energy-efficient, and cosier.”

The Bow building (and I will try not to get started on a rant here) may have its good points, but it is out of scale with the rest of downtown and casts a massive shadow. Shadows = cold. Not a nice thing to do to your neighbours in winter.

More Bow building rants on other days. For today, YAY Plus-15, and thank you, Harold.

The new Bow Building dwarfs Calgary's downtown landmarks (Photo: Jill Browne)

January 3, 2011

Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Home

The new Bow Building isn’t finished yet but it already dominates Calgary’s downtown skyline.

Designed by the firm of Sir Norman Foster, the building was commissioned by energy company EnCana.  It’s 58 stories high and larger in scale than Calgary’s other office buildings.

On the plus side, the building is said to have some environmentally-friendly design features.

The big negative, as far as I’m concerned, is that the opportunity to take hundreds of  jobs out of the downtown core has been lost.  Calgary is a flat, sprawling city.  Most people depend on their cars to get almost anywhere.  Now even more people are going to be going downtown, further taxing our public transit and limited downtown parking and roads infrastructure.

I don’t see how this can possibly be considered environmentally friendly.

In spite of my vinegary attitude, I do love the surprising picture, linked to below.  If you know who the photographer is, please tell me so I can credit them properly.

Link to picture:

Workers at the Bow Building, Calgary