CentreCity

Best Bar None raising safety standards in the Calgary bar scene

A great night out takes planning  – the right shoes, the right outfit and the right advice. After working hard all week, no one wants their bar or club experience to be marred by dirty washrooms, poor staff or fellow bar-goers who get out of control.

Enter Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission’s Best Bar None, a program that offers accreditation and awards to bars that promote the responsible management of their operations. The program is working to reduce alcohol-related harms as well as raising the industry standards for licensed premises. Best Bar None’s website lists accredited establishments as well as the 2012 winners. Accredited bars have the Best Bar None symbol on their doors.

Now into its second year in Calgary, Best Bar None just launched the 2013 competition. This year’s winners will be announced at an awards event in June. While raising the standard in good bar management, the program also provides an opportunity for a little friendly competition among Calgary bars, not to mention much deserved recognition for the winners.

A collaboration between bar owners, licensing regulators and the police, Best Bar None works to improve the relationships of everyone involved in the late night bar scene to create a better environment for patrons. The program addresses things patrons might never think of that contribute to safety; for example, having easily identifiable staff members or accurately counting the number of patrons in the establishment.

As well as Best Bar None, the Calgary bar industry runs the Bar Watch program, an initiative to keep gangs and organized crime out of the Calgary bar scene. Bar Watch members proudly display the Bar Watch logo on their door.

Part of being a world class city is a vibrant night life and Calgary has much to offer in this department. Most of the night time venues in Calgary are well managed. A handful of “bad bars” can use up a lot of police and other resources, as well as ruining your night out. Best Bar None is just one of several ways that the City, Calgary Police and other regulatory agencies work in collaboration with the bar industry to keep Calgary a world class city.

Winter dreary no more: How cities take the chill out of the chilliest of seasons

From time to time most of us complain about the cold. Subzero temperatures, endless snow and icy sidewalks and roads can take a toll on even the hardiest souls but many Nordic cities have turned winter is a time of wonder. To take the chill off the air and introduce people to winter’s charms here’s what Calgary and some other northern cities around the world do to make winter a little more memorable:

Calgary – On Monday, Feb. 18, come out and enjoy free winter fun at Fort Calgary to celebrate Family Day. Activities will include carnival games, crafts, a treasure hunt, face painting, plus theatre plays, cartoons and movies in the Burnswest theatre. Outdoor events will include winter games and maple syrup candy-making (weather-permitting).

Niagara Falls – Spectacular any time of year, but in winter the crowds thin out and view of the Falls is yours without a fight. From November to the end of January visitors can enjoy the Niagara Winter Festival of Lights, which holds the title of Canada’s largest light festival. The Falls are transformed into a wonder of technology and Nature, lit by three million twinkling lights, many of which are environmentally-conscious LEDs.

Quebec City – A bit of old world feel in perhaps the most romantic city in Canada, Quebec City welcomes winter with open arms. Home to the world famous Canaval de Quebec, seventeen days of ice, snow and bonhomie. From family activities to night-time delights join the thousands who flock to this lovely city on the riviere Saint Laurent.

Cologne - Since 1832, each and every November marks the start of Cologne, Germany’s Fastelovend, or Winter Carnival. The winter months lead up to the February party to end all parties. Germany’s answer to “Mardi-Gras” revelers dress in costume and take to the streets in a massive parade of fun and foolishness, all of which is broadcast on German television.

Ottawa - What is winter in our Capitol without a glide down the Rideau Canal? The seven kilometre long rink, thronged with skaters most days is lined by fires, hot chocolate, warm snacks and lots of entertainment. If taking in the air and the sights is your idea of fun make sure to visit the Canal on a weekday to avoid the crush.

Copenhagen – The city of choice to celebrate the Christmas season. With hundreds of thousands of lights and delicious fare to be had at the Tivoli Christmas Market, Copenhagen attracts more than one million visitors a year.

Toronto – Kicking off the holiday season, Toronto hosts a month-long series of free events including concerts, skating and the lighting of a giant tree with 100,000 lights in Nathan Phillips Square. Following the holidays, from the end of January through February, for two weeks, Toronto buzzes with more entertainment. Dubbed WinterCity, this festival features food, music and culture.

Winnipeg – The Festival du Voyageur celebrates Manitoba’s fur-trade history and French-Canadian heritage. Snow sculptures, dog-sledding, ice skating and an array of delicious food and drink are the highlights of this week-long February festival.

So if the winter blues have set in, take a lesson from one of these cities and take a break. Get outside, strap on some skates, see the lights that decorate Olympic Plaza, find a quiet (and warm) corner and delight in a culinary treat and most of all enjoy your city.

Seasonal Activities in the Centre City

Are you looking to get your ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ on? Well look no further, we have found some great seasonal activities throughout Centre City that even the Scrooge in your life will enjoy.

During the holiday season people love to partake in those activities that allow them to reminisce about their childhood. We can’t think of a better way to do this than to attend Alberta Theatre Project’s performance of ‘You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,’ down at the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts. Based off of the classic Peanut’s comic strip this show is great for all ages, Alberta Theatre Projects recommends it for those “5 to 242,” now that’s some range! Tickets are $30 – 55 per person.

For the foodies in your life, SAIT’s brand new Culinary Campus off Stephen Avenue offers up some tasty and hands-on cooking classes. You don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen to attend, all skill sets are welcome and the only thing that is required is your taste buds! For the month of December SAIT is offering up some seasonal classes such as ‘Pot Luck Favorites’ and ‘Holiday Cake Decorating’. They even offer a ‘Junior Chefs’ class for the little aspiring chefs in your life. Swing by the Campus for a gourmet bite during the weekdays and signup for one or more of the many excellent classes; it will make for a great holiday activity with friends and family.

It’s time to dig out your ugly Christmas sweater (come on we know you have one) and head down to West Restaurant and Bar for their Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. What better way to start off your Christmas season than to don your very best ugly sweater? This ‘tacky’ soirée takes place on December 20 starting at 3 P.M., so grab some friends and head down. And in keeping with the holiday spirit of giving, if you bring down a food item your first drink is on West.

For those of you that have been participating in the Naughty or Nice Scavenger Hunt, how fun has that been!?  Put on by Country 105 and Breakfast Television, starting on December 3^rd clues have been given out daily – these clues range from physical items, to photos, to trivia in and around downtown Calgary. By the end of it, participants are expected to have collected 12 items and will present them at the wrap-up event at Devonian Gardens on December 16 to be entered into the $2,400 grand prize draw. There’s always next year if you missed out on this year’s hunt, in the meantime checkout #holidayhuntYYC for the scope.

Stop by the CORE for your daily fill of Christmas joy. Everyday a noon the shopping centre features some gifted carolers that fill the hallways with the sounds of the season. We guarantee that it will ease up your holiday shopping stresses.

Sadly, most of us are far past the acceptable age to take a seat on Santa’s lap and share what we want for Christmas, but that doesn’t mean we can’t partake in some grownup fun! Centre City is bustling with holiday shoppers and activities, so throw on your ugly Christmas sweaters and head on down!

What's happening at the Calgary Arts Development Authority?

Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA) knows the value of our city’s thriving arts and culture scene first hand. Acting as an authority on arts development within Calgary, Calgary Arts Development oversees promotion and advocacy of our own arts and culture scene. Under the direction of The City of Calgary’s Civic Arts Policy one of its responsibilities is to select and oversee suitable art initiatives and programs.  Advancing Calgary’s arts community is vital not only for the artists themselves but for the city as a whole as it connects communities and strengthens investments in the arts.

Developing an integrated Arts Plan has been one of the Calgary Art Development’s main priorities over the past year. The City of Calgary put Calgary Arts Development in charge of building an Art Plan that will serve as a “long-term strategy for arts development and investment in Calgary and a legacy of Calgary's year as a Cultural Capital of Canada.” Since May 2012 Calgary Art Development has been working hard to build a comprehensive vision for the city’s arts community, this work has involved three major phases:

Phase 1: Looked at the current state of the arts sector within Calgary, which involves analyzing venues and engaging in dialogue with members of the arts community.

Phase 2: A public consultation process and the creation of the Citizen’s Reference Panel. The Citizens Reference Panel is made up of 36 randomly selected Calgarians (through a Civic Lottery) who met throughout September and October to provide their input on the priorities that they would like to see in the arts sector. This is where you come in as Calgary Arts Development is looking to citizens for their input.

Phase 3: Involves convening with experts and practitioners in the arts through a series of summits to craft the Art's Plan.

A major factor in building a strong Arts Plan is YOU! As the plan is entering its third and final stage, Calgary Arts Development is calling on you for your input surrounding the arts sector. The Citizen’s Reference Panel developed a series of seven vision statements and is inviting you to comment on its recommendations. All you need to do is visit http://artsplan.ca/recommendations, read through the panel’s recommendations and provide your feedback – it’s pretty simple and Calgary Arts Development greatly values your input.

One more thing, in the sprit of the season Calgary Arts Development is hosting an event on December 6^th in celebration of its volunteers, partners and members of the Calgary art community. Join in on the festivities and stop by Art Central (100 7^th Ave. S.W.) between 4:00 – 8:00 P.M. for a holiday treat, Calgary Arts Development would love the opportunity to thank you for your input!

Its YOUR city and YOUR arts sector so we want to encourage you to help our friends at Calgary Art Development out and take a few minutes to provide your comments. We also want to challenge you to do one more thing...while your visiting artsplan.ca find out what a ‘Civic Lottery’ is, good luck and let us know when you find out!

Some Centre City nostalgia from Kris Demeanor

We have a special treat from this year's Centre City Congress. For those of you who didn’t get to experience the presentations live back in October, this is your next best bet! Here's Poet Laureate Kris Demeanor’s walk down memory lane, sharing the “element of danger” that drew his teenage self and friends to the downtown core.

Watch as Demeanor paints a picture of his youth, drawing on the ‘shenanigans’ that he and his friends got up to in Calgary’s “unpredictable” core. Visit the memories and freedom of youth through this creative presentation. Enjoy!

Calgary’s art scene – vibrant and strong

Calgary wouldn’t be the Cultural Capital if it didn’t offer up some great local art galleries. In fact, you can clearly see our city’s passion for the arts as you walk the streets of Centre City. Yet, the art scene isn't restricted to just formal arts and culture venues. It also includes festivals and public art opportunities. Lets explore what makes Calgary’s art community so vibrant and strong.

Every major city is home to at least one large art gallery and/or museum, its one of the first things tourists check out when they arrive to a new city. Our city’s pride and joy is none other than the great Glenbow Museum. The Glenbow Mueseum encompasses an art gallery, museum and library all under one roof. In the past it has brought in exhibits ranging from the great works of Emily Carr to ‘Egypt, Greece and Rome’ where the Glenbow had the chance to display a real mummy! Up next for the museum is the ‘Historical Art from Glenbow’s Collection’ opening on December 1^st. This new exhibit will celebrate North America’s unique landscapes, featuring work surrounding the great plains and mountainous areas, while sharing the story of Alberta’s unique history. Whether you are looking to entertain a visiting friend or just wanting to enjoy the arts on a Saturday afternoon, the Glenbow Museum is great and affordable way to do it.

Next, lets explore the community known as Art Central. Art Central prides itself in being “a community of galleries, studios and cafes in the heart of downtown Calgary.” Stepping into Art Central can turn into a whole day experience, not only can visitors take in galleries such as Up Studio and Axis Contemporary Art but they can grab a quick bite at Deville Coffee and do some shopping along the way. What has made Art Central famous are the many art evenings and events that it hosts. Throughout the month of November Thursday is known as ‘mid-day is marvelous’ at Art Central where the venue opens its doors at lunch and provides Calgarians the opportunity to escape from the office and instead enjoy free art talks and exhibits. What a sense of a community!

Situated right next to City Hall is MOCA Calgary (Museum of Contemporary Arts). Dedicated to presenting and educating the public on both local and global contemporary arts, MOCA is a Calgary jem of 24+ years. Thanks to the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society MOCA is free for all to enjoy, making art accessible for all Calgarians.

Finally, Calgary’s Cultural District’s signature ‘First Thursday’ event is a great opportunity to take in our city's expansive arts scene. On the first Thursday of each month many of the arts and cultural facilities within the Cultural District (within the boundaries of City Hall, 6th Avenue, the Bay and the CPR track), stay open late and offer up unique shows and exhibits, often free of charge! Art Central always ensures that it is part of the action and hosts an event or two on this night.

We were amazed by the many art events you could find in and around Centre City. If you're looking for a great experience check out calgaryculture.com to find one that feeds your cultural cravings. While your at it why not take a stroll down the streets of Centre City and take in the great public art, check out The City of Calgary’s Public Art page for further details. As always, please be sure to share your experience with us so that we too can enjoy all that Calgary’s art scene has to offer.

What does it take to win a Calgary Award?

The Calgary Awards is one of Calgary’s largest citizen recognition programs and is a fantastic way to recognize that special person in your community who goes above and beyond. Nominations for the 2012 Calgary Awards will be launched in early December, so just wanted to get your minds buzzing about who in your life might fit the nomination bill. This year’s Calgary Award winners will join the ranks of other great Calgarians like award-wining Canadian architect, Jeremy Sturgess, The Mustard Seed and Lafarge Canada Inc.

The Calgary Awards were created back in 1994 as a visible way to celebrate Calgary’s Centennial year and the members of our community whose outstanding effort helps to  make Calgary great. Since the Calgary Awards were created, the nomination categories have expanded to 17 and now include The Not-For-Profit Award, The City of Calgary W.O Mitchell Book Prize and a Citizen of the Year award. 

Another great honour is the annual Signature Award awarded to an individual whose activities have brought significant attention to our city. Last year’s Signature Award recipient was none other than Jeremy Sturgess. As an outstanding Canadian architect, Jeremy Sturgess has had a substantial impact on Calgary’s architecture. Jeremy's impressive resume includes his work on The Bow and the 7^th Ave. LRT refurbishment. No doubt, it's efforts like his and those of other great developers that continue to improve the face of Centre City.

In honor of writer W.O Mitchell, The City of Calgary established a prize in his honour in 1994. This prize recognizes the literary achievement of Calgary authors, awarding them with a $5,000 prize. Calgary born and raise Suzette Mayr won the 2011 award in recognition of her novel “Monoceros” – a piece described as a tragi-comic. How's that for an interesting literary genre?  Support our local authors and pick up a copy today!

Organizations, groups, corporations and schools may all be nominated for a Calgary Award. However, those nominated must meet certain criteria. As the 2012 Awards are approaching make sure to check out http://www.calgary.ca/calgaryawards for this year’s specific qualifications.

Every year the nominees are reviewed and selected by a committee composed of previous award recipients, notable members of the community and retired members of Calgary's City Council. Together the committee meets and deliberates before selecting the recipients based on the specific details of each Award. Last year, 91 nominations were received and that’s not including the 23 for The City of Calgary W.O Mitchell Book Prize alone!

If your interested in the Calgary Awards and would like to nominated someone for 2012, please stay tuned to this blog for an update in December or you can visit http://www.calgary.ca/calgaryawards in early December to get the fast track on the latest information. This years nomination deadline is March 1, 2013 and the awards will be given out on June 12, 2013 at the Municipal Building. Aren’t you glad we gave you plenty of notice to nominate whomever you have in mind?

Have you ever attended a Pecha Kucha before? Before you start asking yourself “a Pecha what?!”, here are some details. It's pronounced “pa-chok-cha” a Japanese term for the sound of chit chat, a Pecha Kucha Night is an emerging and dynamic presentation style that has become increasingly popular around the globe. The way it works is a presenter is to give his/her ideas in 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each, with each event typically hosting between 10 to 14 speakers. This method ensures a fast paced presentation and keeps the audience highly engaged. Those who have participated in Pecha Kucha activities definitely say it establishes a creative and innovative space that is perfect for idea sharing.

The concept of the Pecha Kucha Night was originally introduced by a Japanese design firm back in 2003 as an approach to encourage networking and thought sharing opportunities among its employees. The adaption rate has been huge for this presentation style with more than 550 cities worldwide now using it. So naturally, as soon as Calgary heard about this event we just had to jump on the bandwagon – the potential for thought sharing opportunities was just too great to avoid. Thanks to the Calgary Art Development Authority (CADA) for making Pecha Kucha Nights a reality in Calgary as well as the East Village for its role in sponsoring many of the events.

So far Calgarians have had the opportunity to engage in 14 Pecha Kucha Nights with topics ranging from investment, to love and to the oil sands, it is Pecha Kucha’s unique style that fosters an environment where such a wide range of topics can take place. These events have provided an excellent platform to discuss the issues that are important to Centre City like infrastructure and arts and culture. No doubt, it has also provided us with the opportunity to engage with citizens from all walks of life.

The potential of Pecha Kucha is being used in other settings across Calgary as well; Janet Hamnett a professor at Mount Royal University integrates a Pecha Kucha style presentation into her course, praising the style for “creating a community of interesting people with interesting stories to tell.” Hamnett feels that it is vital to engage her students in a Pecha Kucha style event as “the opportunity to hear multiple voices/stories in a relatively short period of time can be an extremely energizing, engaging and enlightening experience.”

Here at Centre City we love unique opportunities that draw in Calgarians from all over the city and allow us all to dialogue with one another and establish a sense of community. Although Pecha Kucha Calgary has yet to schedule their next evening, keep checking their website to find out details on future events. While your there why not suggest an idea or speaker for the next night, as the topics are selected by an advisory committee that really values the input of the community.  And if you simply cant wait until the next event, the website uploads videos from past events for your viewing pleasure.

We encourage everyone to get out to a Pecha Kucha Night, the event is free but in high demand so be sure to arrive early and be ready to engage! Who knows maybe it will even motivate you to host a Pecha Kucha inspired event in your community or workplace? Please let us know if you do.

Start your holiday shopping at the Art Market Craft Sale

• Photo Credit: Art by Martin Kasper, artisan of Art Market Craft Sale

If you’re looking for some unique buys for loved ones or decorations to prepare your house for holiday festivities, then you’ve come to the right blog. Whatever is on your shopping list this year can probably be found at the Art Market Craft Sale taking place at the Telus Convention Centre this upcoming weekend. Plus, you get to support Calgary's local art scene which is bringing people downtown to witness the vitality of the Centre City while supporting Calgary's Cultural Capital designation at the same time. 

The sale is returning for it 26^th anniversary event, running from November 15-18 and will feature more than 200 vendors. What makes Art Market unique is that it features a lineup of carefully chosen Canadian artisans, skilled in their craft. Not only are visitors guaranteed a unique shopping experience but they are also mostly supporting local, handcrafted quality products through their purchases.

What we love about the Art Market Craft Sale is that it allows Calgarians the opportunity to appreciate beautiful and handcrafted gifts. Each piece conveys a story and is uniquely designed unlike the mass produced commercial items many find at the mall. From ornate jewelry to pottery the market has it all. Marlene Looney of Art Market describes the venue as an experience, "potters discover new techniques, painters investigate new themes, a jeweler may develop a whole new aesthetic approach. That is what makes handcrafted gifts extraordinary. You won't find the exact same piece again next year - the creativity just keeps coming!"

Just to give you a taste of what shoppers can anticipate we will highlight one of feature artisans of this year’ Art Market. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Marcel Dionne (not the Hall of Fame hockey player) has always had a passion for woodwork – it wasn’t until he met his other passion in life, his wife, that they formed their company IMAGINE WOOD in 1999. Since then, the couple has been designing and creating handmade wooden tools and kitchen utensils. Check out some of their work at the 2012 Art Market.

Over the many years it has been operation, the roots of the Art Market Craft Sale have remained the same even as the event has grown immensely. Back in 1986 Art Market featured just 40 tables but this year the event will draw in 200 talented artisans from all over Canada. As Calgary is clearly a city that values culture (need we mention our Cultural Capital designation again?), we are confident that this market will only continue to prosper in the heart of Centre City.

Take some time this weekend and visit the Art Market with your friends and family, admission is an affordable $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, for further details including hours and parking visit the Art Market website. We would love to hear what unique finds you bring home, please post a comment to fill us in!

Sonny Tomic – Centre City and All That Jazz!

In any jazz tune, it’s the arrangement and execution of all the many musical notes that come together to make great music. It’s also about the ability of the band members to interpret a theme and work collaboratively within a given chord framework. Each performer showcases individual mastery of their instrument, while working creatively together with others to create a better whole from the sum of its parts!

This was the essence of a metaphorical message from Sonny Tomic, Manager of Centre City Planning and Implementation. He showed how the Centre City Plan and its implementation use the same principles as he serenaded the crowd at the Centre City Congress with his tiny Melodica keyboard before his presentation entitled “Centre City and All That Jazz”.

Sonny pointed out in a dynamic slide show packed with images of buildings and public spaces how numerous key stakeholders and thousands of Calgarians worked together to radically transform the downtown core in just five short years since the first adoption of the Centre City Plan.

Today, a major shift is happening where Calgarians are embracing the idea of living in higher density urban environments near their work and around retail, entertainment, and recreational amenities. For many people, living along safe, beautifully designed public spaces and street corridors is just as important as having a comfortable home. This changes the focus for urban designers who now have an emphasis on creating new ways to commute by walking, biking, using public transit or in new transportation modes like Car to Go. All of these methods are more sustainable and healthier alternatives than driving a large car from distant suburbia. This new approach has helped Centre City reach new horizons that are constantly changing and evolving as we form into a thriving metropolitan centre of urban living.

Sonny also briefly presented on downtown scenarios that were made at the time Centre City Plan was created. Rightly so, these scenarios envisioned the prominent role Calgary plays today in Canada and increasingly, internationally. That fundamental change and understanding of the new global role we play has also started being translated into the design of new buildings and public spaces in the Centre City.

A good example is the East Village development led by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. No doubt, this emerging community, along with other Centre City neighbourhoods will soon be seen as the vibrant, thriving and livable community of the future thanks to its focus on improving amenities, corridors and creating accessible and active places.

Among dozens of new buildings, Sonny discussed two ‘game changing’ - projects with high architectural quality that put Calgary on the international map and created an instant visual connection with residents. The Bow development (designed by Foster and Partners) and The Peace Bridge (designed by Santiago Calatrava), both have added value to the face of Calgary. In addition, more than a dozen of privately developed office and residential buildings raised the bar of design quality. The City of Calgary also has the newly renovated Devonian Gardens, the re-design of 7^th Avenue transit corridor, the East Village Riverwalk, downtown parks, the 4^th street underpass, and the implementation of an illumination strategy on the Centre Street bridge to add to its list of accomplishments. The creation and implementation of the new Wayfinding system also helped bring all these improvements into reach as Calgarians and visitors can now easily locate destinations to experience them firsthand!

No doubt, the work over the last five years has set a high standard moving forward. As Sonny stated in his presentation, “The excellence of today is the new average of tomorrow!” But, the new excellence will only happen through continuous collaboration and an understanding of where we want to be in the next five years.

Finally, Sonny emphasized how The City of Calgary and the Centre City Planning and Implementation team are excited for what the future holds. Thinking big, sharing ideas and working collaboratively with all stakeholders is what the team enjoys most. Sonny’s “All that jazz” metaphor was also complementary to Calgary’s selection as Canada’s Cultural Capital in 2012. After all, music is always a great way to celebrate success.