Something is rotten in the state of Calgary’s Downtown

“I’m here now visiting Calgary from FL, USA. I’ve been to several cities in Europe and USA and I’m sorry to say, as a tourist, I did not find Calgary enjoyable. I find it a little dirty and the homeless around is a turn off. I didn’t find much worth seeing. I enjoyed some of the art/sculptures around. We spent our time near the Calgary Tower. Is there a core area with a nice green space and historical attractions all within walking distance of each other near the Tower? Is there a river walk with shops and restaurants? It’s middle of June, when does summer start here? Very nice people. Maybe I’m not in the right “downtown” area.” K. Fristrom, Florida (June 15, 2024)

I recently received this comment on my website from a visitor staying in downtown Calgary. While I wasn’t surprised, it should be a wake-up call for all downtown stakeholders and City Council. I bet this person is going to go back and tell all her friends and colleagues not to visit Calgary, and they will tell their friends and so on.  I couldn’t help but wonder how many more people have had the same thoughts but didn’t bother to find my site or another where they could share they disappointment in their “Calgary Experience.”

While the City is investing billions of dollars in expanded BMO Centre, new arena, expanded Arts Commons, Olympic Plaza and Stephen Avenue Walk enhancements, as well as East Village development, new downtown parks, murals and public art, it will all be squandered if we can’t make our downtown a more attractive place for tourists (and locals) to wander the streets and public spaces. 

“The Faces Of A City” is an ongoing documentation of how the streets of Downtown Calgary have become a scary place with open drug use a common occurrence.

What did I do?

I immediately emailed Fristrom and said, “Sorry, can’t do much about the weather, we’ve had a poor spring.” I then suggested she might want to take an Uber (I couldn’t risk her walking or taking the LRT for fear she would have a negative experience) to Kensington Village where she would enjoy the shops, cafes and perhaps a movie at The Plaza with a drink afterwards at the speakeasy. Or, she could Uber it to Inglewood to enjoy the galleries, (especially Esker Gallery), as well as the shops, cafes and - if she was into live music - the jams at Blues Can or perhaps Ironwood. I did also suggest 17th Ave and 4th Street, but unfortunately it wasn’t patio weather, which is when these streets are most animated.  

And, if she was willing to give downtown another chance, I suggested the Glenbow at The Edison, National Music Centre and the Central Library as possible destinations. I also told her “Yes, we do have a river! And there is a lovely promenade along the Bow River with two great green spaces – Prince’s Island and St. Patrick Island. There is even a small Chinatown if that is your cup of tea.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t send her back to Stephen Avenue Walk or Olympic Plaza to wander and enjoy some of Calgary’s history as I feared she’d experience more of Calgary’s seedy downtown. I would normally send people to The Bay, but it is so tired looking these days, I didn’t think she’d be impressed.

Normally, I would also recommend The Core for shopping but that also meant wandering through some areas that might reinforce her previous negative experience. Much to my chagrin, I told her if she wanted to go shopping, Chinook Centre was the city’s largest shopping mall and just a short Uber drive away.

Given the poor weather, I would have loved to suggest she explore Calgary’s +15 indoor walkway, where she would find shops, gardens, public art and cafes, but unfortunately the City hasn’t embraced this unique urban experience, so it too has become rather deserted and desolate, especially evenings and weekends.

And yes, I gave her my phone number if she wanted to call me and chat.

Over the past 10+ years several initiatives to help users and create a safer downtown have been tried but all have failed. Downtown safety is not only just a Calgary issue it is an issue for all of Canada’s downtown. Link: Downtown Safety Plans

Last Word

If Calgary wants to become a major convention and events destination, it is going to have to clean up its downtown now, not in 5 or 10 years. Investing billions of dollars in mega projects will be for nought if we can’t create pedestrian-friendly streets and public spaces (including the +15).

I am embarrassed to say, “Something is rotten in Calgary’s downtown these days!”