“My favourite thing about this place? Coming down here and getting lit with my boys, haha! Am I allowed to say that?” Alex.
Author: Ara (Page 33 of 41)
“It’s a fantastic part of town. It’s the first place I worked when I came to Calgary. It’s got a tonne of personality as far as this part of Canada goes–as you can tell from our kitchen, ha! I love this place because it’s hip, but not too hip, y’know? People are here to eat and have fun. Not drink and get in fights. Can I drop a Jay and Silent Bob quote? No? Haha, sure thing.” Mike, Sous-chef at Brasserie Kensington.
“This neighbourhood, well, I guess you can say City, but I’m talking about right here… it’s full of ghosts. Not the kind that rattle chains or hide in your closet, but the kind of ghost that’s a remnant of what people have left behind. Think about that creosote plant that they’re trying to figure out up by the Greyhound station. Yeah, that’s the kind of ghosts I’m talking about.
Generations have come before us and they put their fingerprints all over this place. I guess it’s up to us to choose which ones we want to rub off and which ones we want to keep. How’s that for a metaphor? This neighbourhood? I like it because there’s always something to do… good and bad haha.” Name Withheld.
“It’s the Memorial Drive Brownstones Project. Thirteen houses along Memorial drive were subject to purchase by the Dobbin Group with the agreement that they would apply for heritage status for a group of buildings they own in the neighbourhood. They play fair, engage with the community and the re-zoning is unanimously approved by City Council. The deal goes through.
Fast forward a few months and the property has been sold to a developer from Vancouver who wants to work with the community. It’s a chance for people here to actually get engaged with the future of this neighbourhood, they should take it–not a lot of communities in other places get this chance – https://mightybell.com/communities/65557/posts/715012“
“People talk about ‘gentrification’ and drop the word like it’s a weapon or something… I don’t think a lot of people really know what it means. Mostly, I think people are scared of the idea of gentrification. Like a bunch of stuffy people from other cities are going to come here and buy property, speculating that it’s going to improve at some astronomical rate.
I think the truth is that this is how things go. They go in cycles. It’s not like this property has never been valuable…. it’s just been used and enjoyed in a way that we all got used to: cruising the streets in the summer, Salsa Fest, the coffee shops, the bong stores, the tattoo places, the tea shops, the clothing stores, the pubs–there’s an ass for every seat. There’s a tenant for every condo. I just wish the fucking landlords would figure out that they need to work with the businesses that lease their properties.
Can you imagine being in a place like Vancouver where nobody local actually owns anything? Not the business spaces, not the condos, not the houses? It’s all multi-nationals. That’s my nightmare. Not this ‘gentrification’ idea that’s buzzing around.” Name Withheld. Construction crews tie the new Lido and Kensington Condo buildings into the local power and service grids.
If you’ve ever seen the strange looking, blank eyed faces painted throughout the neighbourhood, then you’ve seen Earthfolk–a local artist and ACAD alumnus known in particular for his mural and street art projects. His work varies in medium and content, but may be generally described as a mash-up of characters, icons, and text that form a peculiar relationship with each other to explore a range of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual themes.
“The Sunnyside, Hillhurst, and Kensington neighbourhoods have been integral in my development as an artist, particularly in regards to public murals. Having been given numerous opportunities to paint in such a positive, cultured, and diverse area of Calgary is great exposure, great experience, and has enabled me to stay engaged with the public. I’m grateful and excited to see that the overall enthusiasm for urban art-forms seems to be growing, though I have mixed feelings about the impending effects of gentrification in the area. Such opportunities continue to be an uphill pursuit and there remains a lot of pressure to produce bland and “friendly” work with little to no artistic integrity. I’ve been extremely lucky, so I encourage everyone to support local artists.” – Earthfolk (Find out more about this amazing artist at www.earthfolk.org)
“When this church was built around 100 years ago, they called it a ‘7 day-a-week Church’. I think that says a lot about the vision they had back then and how we carry it now. It’s built in this fashion as per the way they used to build Presbyterian churches in a rotund style.
Oh this neighbourhood? I like seeing people on the streets, I like the coffee shops, restaurants…
Yeah, the people. I like seeing diversity. The other thing I like is the river and the Peace Bridge. I like seeing people on the river, floating by and enjoying it. I moved here from the suburbs and I live in Hillhurst, on 21st, which is on the bike path. When I look out the window and see people cycling I think to myself ‘I love this.’ People in the neighbourhood want to be here and share it with others.” John Pentland, Lead Minister, Hillhurst United Church.
“I like the diversity. People feel welcome here in this community. It’s a really positive place to be yourself and feel at home. People feel like it’s okay to knock on our door and ask questions. It’s something that we really support–diversity, open-mindedness, and support. It’s a community and it’s home. They’re all things I really feel in this neighbourhood and this church, especially being a newcomer to the community.” Danielle Ayana James, Minister, Hillhurst United Church.
“It’s this time that I love the most in this neighbourhood. When the first crisp smell of Autumn starts to rise at dusk and dawn. It’s hard not to welcome the changing seasons in Sunnyside because I spend so much time outside.
…and that’s the thing. You take walks and nod to a passer-by, and eventually see them enough times where you stop and say hello. After a few seasons of doing this, you realize that you’ve been doing it for years. Before you know it, you have made a friend.”
“Pride Calgary Planning Committee is a not-for-profit organization that exists to promote equality and acceptance of Calgary’s LGBTQA community.
Vision:
A city free from discrimination against gender identity and sexual orientation.
Equality:
We create an environment where everyone enjoys the same universal rights
Learning:
We facilitate the growth of a just and inclusive society through continuous learning.
Respect & Acceptance:
We cultivate a city that embraces diversity with respect and dignity.
Collaboration:
We engage the community, seeking opportunities for mutual benefit.” PrideCalgary.ca
“The people. Um, yeah! The people! The people and the ability to connect with people. Everyone is drawn to this area, if they don’t live here, they want to come down to Sunnyside, to Hillhurst. It’s a great place to exist.” Dre, dancing it up at the Sunnyside Sunday Social at ContainR.