Jill Browne, from home and away

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.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Today is Groundhog Day. We haven’t got groundhogs and I’ve never heard of Prairie Dog Day, so nothing to report on the rodent meteorology front.

Another bright sunny day, even warmer than yesterday. Up to about 5 above zero, I think. Celsius.

The pictures I took yesterday of the new LRT and the downtown skyline show something of how parts of Calgary are getting high off the ground.

I remember being quite charmed the first time I encountered a quiet European tram at ground level. It was in Bremen, Germany. More recently, I had the horrible experience of driving in Toronto on the elevated expressway (not for the first time, it was just a particularly yucky ride). There is something so unbecomingly dominant about a road that puts cars above people, literally.

I like the new Vancouver rail line from the airport to downtown, and it’s elevated.

So, what’s the difference between the elevated car experience and the train experience? It must be the feeling of being about to be killed by other drivers that ruins the whole car thing for me. I feel safe in the train. I’m looking forward to riding the new C-Train when it’s ready.

Section of LRT just east of Crowchild. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 1, 2011.

Calgary's new LRT under construction. Photo by Jill Browne. Calgary, February 1, 2011.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Beautiful sunny day! Started out at -25 C and reached -6 by evening.

Last week I was surprised to see how far along the building of the west leg of the LRT (our above-ground light rail transit) is. The chunk they are working on now is massive. I hope the pictures give at least some idea of the size.

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.

Snow on the tree looks like a Christmas card. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 30, 2011.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The snow continued, though not all day and not as much. But for a little while today THE SUN CAME OUT and it was a beautiful sight.

I think I am getting cabin fever.

Will report on advancing hallucinations etc.

By the way, that lattice thing in front of the tree is almost 2 metres high. The snow is about (very approximately) 30 cm to 50 cm deep, depending where you stand. In other places, there’s almost none thanks to the shelter of the tree.

Snow on a Calgary street. Photo by Jill Browne, Calgary, January 29, 2011.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The snow hit us in a calm and deliberate way. It has been falling steadily all day, but with next to no wind, and also nobody walking in it.

This is perfect, perfect snow. Light, fluffy, beautiful. I didn’t even mind shovelling it.

But a grey day.

In other news, the other day I saw the new LRT under construction near Crowchild. Massive! Want to get back and take some pictures. When the snow has stopped.

Coming into Calgary from the north on Highway 2, aka Deerfoot Trail. Photo: by Jill Browne. Calgary, January 3, 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Weather, like in the picture, but a little warmer. Things are melting.

Today I drove 100 km just in town and had no fun doing it.

9:30 appointment in the NW, no problem on Crowchild

Two more appointments close to home

6:30 (evening) back to the NW, this time Crowchild northbound was backed up horribly from about 37th Ave. SW and it took 30 minutes at least for what should be a 5-minute stretch of the trip. This had something to do with the new LRT being built, but I’m not sure what exactly. Going home later at night we went a different way, no problems.

The windshield is dirty like in this picture. Must get to the car wash.

Oh, and I was really disgusted by the discourteous drivers on that northbound trip in the evening. It’s beyond rudeness. People aggressively race forward to prevent others from making lane changes. I saw it done and I had it done to me.

I avoid rush hour driving for a reason. These jerks cause accidents. I hope they pay triple my insurance rates.

Calgary Feed Mill building, Inglewood in SE Calgary. Photo: Jill Browne, January 3, 2011.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (Happy Robbie Burns’ Day!)

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Here’s a picture from earlier this month.

This building has had its old painted signage restored, and I love it.

You can see it in Inglewood, on 12 Street SE.

The signs say:

FEEDS

Calgary Co-op.

Fur Farmers’

Ass’n. Ltd.

Custom Mixing, Grinding, Pelleting

Which begs the question, I suppose, what kind of fur farming industry did Calgary have, and when, and what happened to it?

By the way, sorry for the spotty picture. I took it from the car, through the window.

TRFKAN (The Restaurant Formerly Known As Nellie’s) is called The Loop Breakfast House now.  This wasn’t obvious to me, not that it matters since I know where to go: 2015 – 33rd Avenue SW, Calgary.

I’ve gone for breakfast (actually more like brunch, it’s a lot of food) about a half-dozen times in the past year, I bet.

Happy every time.

Today:

$11.95 for the Big Al, which is (gasp) 3 eggs, bacon, French toast or pancakes, regular toast, and potatoes. I was still full at dinner time.

My friend: a fruit plate and an omelette.

Both: coffee and milk.  (As in, a serving of milk that you buy, not just a splash in the coffee.)

Total bill, $41.00 before tip.

It’s independent, it’s comfortable, the food is good, and the neighbourhood is developing some atmosphere.  A lot of people would say Marda Loop is already funky and pedestrian-friendly.  Today was too cold to walk around, and I am not sure I would pick the Loop as my destination of choice for a stroll, but yes, it does have some interesting nooks and crannies.

I like The Loop Breakfast House for a casual weekday breakfast or brunch.  Can’t say how it is on weekends; I don’t go out much then!

The Loop Breakfast House in Marda Loop, Calgary. Photo: Jill Browne. January 12, 2011.

theloopbreakfasthouse.ca

403 – 802-2174

2015 – 33rd Avenue SW

Calgary, Alberta

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