Browsing “People”

On Monday, Wine-Oh’s Bistro was at capacity and I snuck in just before they turned people away. The basement was full and for a good reason, the Calgary Slam Finals was just starting.

The monthly Slam is hosted and organized by the Ink Spot Collective and last year it took a team of four competitors to the 2012 Canadian Spoken Word Festival (CSFW) in Saskatoon. On Monday night, the finals determined the next top four competitors who will go on to represent YYC  in this year’s CSFW taking place Montreal. Read more

Nic Choquette-Levy and Eric Limacher of Engineers Without Borders Calgary

Calgary has more engineers per capita than any other Canadian city.  As such, many of my friends and other peers are engineers… and that means I’ve heard my fair share of self-deprecating engineer jokes (E.g. “You know you’re an engineer when your IQ is bigger than your weight”).

Aw.  Here at C.I.A. we love our local engineers, and this week we spent some time with a group of them who are volunteering their time to make Calgary a better place.

Nic Choquette-Levy and Eric Limacher are both engineers, and they play a leadership role in the Calgary chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).  On Wednesday, April 24, they co-hosted a community event on “the Social Impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),” which brought together local EWB members, Calgary CSR experts, and some other curious participants.  C.I.A. spoke to Nic about what he and Eric are up to, what EWB does in Calgary, and what sort of help they need from the Calgary community.

C.I.A.: What are you doing with EWB in Calgary?

Nic: A number of us in Calgary have done development projects with EWB overseas.  However, here in Calgary we’ve been looking for ways to be more involved in our community.  The series of Calgary events we’ve organized about corporate social responsibility (CSR) is part of our attempt to help our members understand what sorts of social issues are facing the companies in our community.  Once they understand these issues, we hope that we can also give them some insight and tools that they can apply it in their work.

Our long-term aim is to enable more effective CSR initiatives from Canadian companies, especially those that work in developing countries. (In other words, we’re seeking to influence the Calgary and Canadian corporate community, and not just our members). While we have some experience in on-the-ground projects in African communities, we’re hoping to learn more about how companies here approach CSR and the systems that drive and influence their approach.

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The Pine Tarts playing The Fifth Reel’s Jurassic Park Beach Party last November. Photo courtesy of Alonso Melgar.

If you want to bring cool cinema to your city, the best way is to do it yourself. Alonso Melgar, a former employee at the Uptown and current employee of Kensington’s Plaza Theatre, decided to do exactly that. While talking with another employee, Dan Crittenden, about different ideas for screenings, Melgar came up with the though, “Why not just do it ourselves?” Since May, 2012, the Plaza employees have put on a few screenings, but in November of last year, The Fifth Reel became official.

The Fifth Reel is a film series/club that wants to bring unique theatre-going experiences to Calgarians. Their films are licensed (yes, just like the famed Alamo Drafthouse you can enjoy a beer while watching your movie), and introduced by a set from a local band. Melgar says it’s great for keeping theatre-goers entertained, as well as helping to promote local music. “It exposes the band to an audience they wouldn’t normally see.”

They’ve done theme nights like a Gremlins Ugly Sweater Christmas party, and a Nic Cage extravaganza double feature.

If you’d like a membership to The Fifth Reel, you can get one by buying a ticket ($12). A membership gets you discounts on future Fifth Reel screenings, as well as discounts at the Oak Tree Tavern and Another Dimension Comics.

And, now is the best time to get involved. The Fifth Reel is looking to expand over the summer, as well as a cool upcoming feature in May. Melgar wasn’t able to disclose the exact details just yet, but he hints that it might be the coolest thing they’ve ever done.

Melgar says his involvment with The Fifth Reel and Calgary’s film scene has been a privilege, allowing him to get to know people behind the scenes. “Calgary’s a city of creative, dedicated people, and I’m proud to be somewhat on that level.”

The Fifth Reel’s next event will be a screening of Joss Whedon’s film Serenity, to coincide with Nathan Fillion attending the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. The film will take place at 10:00 p.m. on April 27, and as it’s a licenced event, it will be 18+. It will preceded by a live show by The Cable Knits. Advance tickets can be purchased here.

To keep track of upcoming screenings with The Fifth Reel, visit the Plaza’s Facebook page.

Joon Jung, Owner and Manager of Cafe Bene

I spend a lot of time in coffee shops in downtown Calgary.  Likely to stave off boredom, I’m hyper-attentive to unusual coffee shop offerings.  (These have, for instance, included Artigiano’s asparagus breakfast wrap, various weird muffin flavours at Bumpy’s, and slimy aloe drinks at the Purple Perk).

Usually I just enjoy these discoveries and move on, but I feel compelled to share my most recent discovery.  Café Bene easily ranks at the top of Calgary’s weird and wonderful.

A non-descript office-building-café from the outside, Café Bene’s interior is unlike any coffee shop I’ve ever visited in this city.  In particular, visitors are greeted by motivational quotes and cutesy coffee poems painted on nearly all of the walls.  All décor is oozing with feel-good customer love.  My favourite?  The “Admiration of Coffee” wall poem (see below).  Or, wait, maybe the “Don’t worry, everything is going to be amazing!” statement on the washroom wall.  Amazing.

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(Photos courtesy of Wearhaus).

There’s a lot more that goes into movies than just lights, camera, and action. Those actors don’t just show up looking as glamorous or scary as a scene may call for – there’s days of work that go into making them look just right for the role. Local costume designer, Phaedra Vandenbrun, knows all about the challenges and excitement that go in to making a theatre or film production look its best. Whether she’s digging up just the right garment, or building something to fit the part, she keeps herself busy with her costuming company Wearhaus. In 2007, Phaedra won a Community Theatre Award for outstanding costume design for Morpheus Theatre’s Yeomen of the Guard. If you think you might have seen one of her designs before – you’re probably right. Check out her portfolio here to see some of the places her work has popped up.

How did you get your start in costuming? Do you have a formal education?

Yup! I have a degree in apparel production from Ryerson, I graduated in 1994. From there I was really lucky. During school I got some jobs with a lady who owns a company called Tricksters in Toronto. I was her studio assistant and she made all the masks for Phantom of the Opera at Pantages. So I worked with her, and started learning about prop making, and masks, and I was just really lucky! Then I got started with Shakespeare in the Park with the Canadian Stage Company, as well as a few other things. I didn’t really realize it was what I wanted to do until I graduated.

I had a small business doing historical clothing reproductions for reenactors  - mostly 18th century military uniforms. It was fun!

Were you always interested in doing costume design, even as a kid?

You know… no! I wanted to be a fashion designer. I wanted to be the next Coco Chanel.

What started you on to that path?

It really started with the historical clothing. I realized upon graduation that as much as I loved fashion, what I really loved about it was fabric and history. From there, it was just looking for other ways to use that passion, that skillset that I had acquired, to see where else it could take me.  It kind of led me off into theatre and film. Slowly. Very slowly. It wasn’t initially what I had thought of. I did watch Amadeus when it came out sometime in the 80s and saw it win an Oscar for Best Costumes and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, you can win an Oscar for costume design!’ It sort of set me then onto that path.
So, walk me through the process once you start working on a film.

It’s usually pretty typical. I get asked, or I then get the script, or meet with the director and other important parties involved. Then I go away – usually, it’s a $0 or very limited budget. So I usually have to try and work with actors’ clothes, what they’ve already got. We try and break down there character – where would this person live? What would this person wear? Where would this person shop? Basically, a character profile. Then you try and work with the budget, and with what the actor has as clothes, and typically in the past we shop at thrift stores to find what we can. There really is no money to make a lot of stuff, so you certainly have to be creative. It’s sort of an organic process – maybe if you can’t get shirt A, maybe then shirt B will do. You communicate a lot with the director to find out what’s good and what isn’t.

There’s also the typical film things you have to avoid, like no stripes and hard edges in your patterns. otherwise the camera bounces.

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Photo courtesy of Jay Ingram

Name: Jay Ingram

Occupation: Author; Broadcaster

Website: www.jayingram.ca

Twitter: @jayingram

Jay Ingram is a hit with science and non-science folk alike.  You may know him from when he hosted CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks between 1979 and 1992, wrote for Owl Magazine (those of you in your thirties – think elementary school library), or contributed to various other science-related TV and radio shows.  Most recently, we’ve seen Ingram around town at The Walrus Talks as part of Calgary’s High Performance Rodeo and at events related to Beakerhead, a science and engineering happening which he co-founded.

Q: Tell us about your connection to Calgary and your current local projects (such as Beakerhead).

A: My partner Mary Anne Moser and I live in Bragg Creek.  Beakerhead (which is truly awesome) was her idea.  It’s a collision of art, science and engineering, and we are going to make Beakerhead happen on the streets of Calgary this coming September.

Q: We love when science and fun intersect!  Given your work to popularize science, can you tell us about a time when you had fantastic fun while teaching people about science? Read more

We’ve all dreamed about sticking it to the man and being our own boss, making a quick billion then swapping tales with Bill Gates and Richard Branson. Sounds magical, but also a tad…unrealistic.

Business ownership takes a mix of drive, determination, talent, time and a little luck too. It can lead to the upsides of success, but also the downsides of failure. It’s fear of this failure that often holds us back from doing what we truly love to do.

David Wald decided to push past this fear and become his own boss by starting Legendary Branding, and more recently, Social Sesame. I was recently able to chat with David about his journey to autonomy. In my interview below, he shares insight on what the realities of business ownership really are, and how to know if it’s really for you. It has some great advice for those of you thinking of going it alone.

Q. First, tell us a little bit about Legendary Branding?

A. Legendary Branding is a brand and marketing consulting company, it launched May 5, 2011. I provide an overall brand and marketing strategy for my clients and help with the implementation of their tactics.

I also recently launched Social Sesame, a new company that is strictly social media and content marketing. A lot of my clients were asking me to run their social media; I saw this as a business opportunity. It launched the beginning of January and is going strong! Read more

Photo courtesy of Clara Hughes

Name: Clara Hughes

Claims to Awesome: Six-time Olympic medalist in cycling and speed-skating; the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Games; Officer of the Order of Canada; Winner of the International Olympic Committee’s prestigious “Sport and Community” award… eep!  So much awesome.

Website: clara-hughes.com

Clara Hughes is a big, big name in Canadian sport, but that’s is only one part of what makes her a Good Peep.  According to Clara, “success means a lot more than earning medals, it means having a voice and using the opportunity to reach out and help others.”  You may have seen her image recently on Calgary billboards and bus-shelters promoting Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign, or seen her inspire the crowd at High Performance Rodeo‘s The Walrus Talks on January 29, 2013.

When C.I.A. caught up with Hughes, we wanted to find out more about her community work and what she’s been up to lately, now that she is no longer a competitive athlete.

Q: Tell us about your connection to Calgary.

A: My first connection was seeing Gaeten Boucher skate in his last Olympic race in the 1988 Olympics.  But I was in Winnipeg watching it on TV.  But that moment changed my life, it’s where it all began for me.  Then I became a speed skater, over a decade later, and spent 10 years living and training in Calgary at the Olympic Oval.  I ended up in 3 Winter Olympic Games myself in that span. Read more

After moving from Lebanon with her family at the age of three, 29 year old Sarah Hbeichi has happily made Calgary her home, and wants to lock Calgarians in to how much they love the city.

In November, Sarah applied for a grant by pitching an unorthodox way for Calgarians to show their love for the city – love padlocks. It’s a tradition popular throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia – two sweethearts lock a padlock to a public fixture (commonly a bridge or fence) to demonstrate their everlasting love for each other.

Often, one lock spawns a trend – causing the fixture to be completely covered in locks, to the point where the original structure is unrecognizable. It’s happened at Korea’s North Seoul Tower, Serbia’s Most Ljubavi Bridge (named after the phenomenon), and even on the Wild Pacific Trail in Vancouver Island and Toronto’s Humber Bridge. Moscow’s Vodootvodny Canal has sculptural iron trees built for the express purpose of having their branches covered in “lock leaves.”

After seeing a friend’s photo from a vacation in Europe, Hbeichi was taken with the idea.

“I thought it would be something that would fit Calgary well,” she said. She wants to find a place in the city where people can affix locks to symbolize their love.

Hbeichi works for the city in new community planning. While she has no artistic experience herself, she’d love to find someone to partner with on this project, so she can find another way to beautify Calgary’s public spaces.

Unfortunately, Hbeichi did not win the grant, but now she’s looking at next steps – putting out a request for artists that might make the idea a reality with her.

“I want people to bring their own locks. I want it to be something totally welcoming, where people can show a love for Calgary as I do.”

If you’re an artist that  might be interested in collaborating with Sarah on the project, please contact her via email at sarahhbeichi@gmail.com.

Chief Wilton Littlechild addresses a packed house at the 2013 Walrus Talks, Jack Singer Concert Hall, January 29.

As I was lying in bed the morning after the Walrus Talks, my phone buzzed with a text: “Thanks again for inviting me last night… ‘It’s hard to fly with the eagles when you’ve been out hooting with the owls!’”

It was one of the best quotes from the night before, and it made for an aptly timed text message as I contemplated heaving my groggy self out of bed.  But the Walrus Talks, and their mingly after-events, were unquestionably worth the morning-after sleepiness.

Like so many speaker events, the annual Walrus Talks assembled a set of presenters to address a range of subjects related to a single theme.  This year the theme was “performance,” and big names in Canadian culture (such as Dan Mangan, Jay Ingram, Clara Hughes, and Will Ferguson) shared their perspectives on performance as it related to sport, music, innovation, and even magic.

There were two things that distinguished this year’s Walrus Talks from the usual speaker event.  Read more