Dan Mangan
John Jackson & Connie DeSousa
Danny Vacon of The Dudes
The Kid Belo's David Brunning
George Stroumbouloupoulos
Jeremy Ho
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Kyle Shewfelt
Bad Portraits' Mandy Stobo
The Market Collective
Chad VanGaalen
Calgary Is Awesome, and we are dedicated to everything that makes it that way.
If you want to read ugly, bad news about this beautiful city of ours, you’re going to have to look to traditional media and other blogs; C.I.A. promotes everything that makes Calgary awesome, from old to new and everything in between. We’re like the human interest piece on the news… only different.
Learn more about the awesome people who write for Calgary is Awesome.
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Irene Seto They say that good things come in small packages and Irene is no exception. What she lacks in stature, she more than makes up for in personality and laughter. A born-and-bred Calgarian, this Western girl takes the adage of “work hard, play hard” to heart, always on-the-go and finding the most awesome stories to share with C.I.A. readers. As Managing Editor, she acts as a jill-of-all-trades juggling a variety of responsibilities including writing, editing, social media and more. In her (little) spare time, you can find Irene stocking up on more shoes for her closet, enjoying a pint (or two) with friends and cycling around on her love, Minty the bicycle. If you give her mini donuts or kettle corn, she will be your friend for life. Neighbourhood: Haysboro |
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Nick Taylor Nick is a blogger, broadcaster and professional nerd, living in Calgary for the past 14 years, the longest he’s lived anywhere. A self-described nerd, he’s a radio broadcasting grad from SAIT and you can most likely find him clutching his Firefly box-set and cursing under his breath. He loves the Calgary Flames, so long as they aren’t playing the Montreal Canadiens. Neighbourhood: Bridlewood |
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Sarah Pynoo Sarah is a Calgary based writer, wanna-be illustrator, and volunteer. Currently she is studying communications at the University of Calgary and Journalism at SAIT. She is the Opinions Editor for the Weal, Chief Live Twitter Operation for Awesome Foundation Calgary, and the Social Media Coordinator for Light Up the World. Neighbourhood: Lake Bonavista |
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Amy Jo Espetveidt Oh. Hi there. I’m Amy Jo Espetveidt – photojournalist, writer, gardener, reader, painter, wanderer. I’ve been taking pictures for over ten years and graduated from SAIT’s Photojournalism program in 2005. My work has appeared in The Labradorian, the St. John’s Telegram, the Calgary Herald, the Calgary Sun, the Winnipeg Free Press, The Sun (UK) and C-ing Magazine (to name a few). I have worked for Transcontinental Media, the Canadian Press, Hallmark and the Canadian Armed Forces. And now I run my own photojournalism company in Calgary called Quadrophonic Image.I’m an avid theatre goer, I love a good art exhibit and I strive to find out the interesting stories behind everyday life. My favourite artists are Dr. Seuss, Ralph Steadman and Kurt Vonnegut. The best play I’ve ever seen was Irvine Welsh’s Filth by Sage Theatre and the best concert I’ve been to is a toss up between John Fogerty, Roger Daltry and The Headstones. If I’m not found snapping pics I can be found in my garden or with my nose in a book. And I’m very excited to be part of Calgary is Awesome because it really is. Neighbourhood: Bowness |
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Jennifer Thompson Goldberg JTG has lived all over this country, continent, world, but keeps coming back to Calgary because she truly believes it might be the centre of the universe. She enjoys people watching and adventure finding, and you can usually find her taking to strangers and getting into trouble around town with her bearded companion Pete (face) and Carol (beard). Neighbourhood: Cliff-Bungalow |
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Vincci Tsui Vincci loves delicious food that nourishes. A registered dietitian by day, you may think that Vincci would stop talking about food at night, but in fact, it’s the opposite! Aside from being the food editor for Calgary is Awesome, Vincci shares recipes and reviews on her own blog as well. When she’s not cooking, eating, or in front of the computer, Vincci can often be found at the gym, training for her next Muay Thai fight. Neighbourhood: Renfrew |
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Andrea Grant Andrea’s love for Calgary started in a special spot in the Elbow River, which she promptly made her personal swimming treadmill. Delighted by the city’s clean waterways, its go-getter culture, and its proximity to the mountains, she’s recently declared herself here to stay. Andrea lives car-free and likes to keep her hangouts downtown-ish. She spends a lot of time at the Stronghold climbing gym. She also likes Café Bene on 4thAve SW because of the treats andthe fantastic Café Bene poem they have on the curtains behind the counter. Her best Calgary discovery so far is the mall attached to the T&T. Giant hologram prints of tigers, cheap sushi, and an outrageous selection of sweet buns – fantastic! Neighbourhood: Connaught |
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Marc Affeld Marc likes being outside. In fact, if he is currently sitting inside somewhere he is probably not too happy about it. But don’t worry about him. There is a very good chance he is outdoors right now as you read this because Calgary is an ideal place for Marc to bike, run, ski, swim, read and hike. While he’s doing any number of things outside there is also a high probability that Marc is scribbling something down in a notebook or shoving a voice recorder in someone’s face. He does this so that he can share is outdoor adventures with other people just like him here in the city of Calgary.Marc is currently the News Director at CJSW 90.9FM, Calgary’s non-commercial community radio station where he works with volunteers to create some of Canada’s most engaging and innovate radio. He got his start at CJSW as a volunteer as a co-creator of the station’s popular radio series/podcast Today in Canadian History. Neighborhood: West Hillhurst |
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Wendy Peters Wendy is a lover of all things Calgary. By day (and by night), she’s the Community Manager with Yelp.ca in Calgary. You’ll see her out at anything from comic expos to fashion shows, sipping and sampling her way through the city’s food and cocktail culture as she goes.Wendy’s made her home in Rundle, it’s the best of the small town feel she grew up in (Millet, AB) with the ideal proximity to downtown. Current addictions include: Ultimate Frisbee, the local music scene, delicious food, chocolate and cupcakes, incredibly curated cocktails and carefully crafted local brews. Neighbourhood: Rundle |
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Amanda Berjian Amanda has an insatiable appetite for all things that delight the senses, with food being one of her greatest joys. Originally from Saskatchewan, Amanda is one of the many transplants of the mid-2000s who took root in Calgary and is happy to call it home. By day, Amanda is a social worker in the non-profit sector of Calgary. Her social conscience extends to her love of food, driving her belief that good food and food culture should be accessible to everyone. Neighbourhood: Connaught |
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Angelo Tembreza Angelo is a Communications graduate and wordsmith who has called #yyc home since 1993. With a passion for creative writing, he aims to explore Calgary’s AWESOME literary and spoken word community. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu nerd, he’s honed the deadly art of counterattacking with hi-fives and bear hugs. He might have an obsession with the interwebsand social media: Twitter, Facebook, Reddit , and Yelp, which everybody (especially Wendy) enables although generally, he prefers meeting (and ranting) with AWESOME people in person. Neighborhood: Kingsland |
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Blaine Wiseman Blaine is a proud Calgarian with a soft spot for our unique western history. He’s travelled the world and knows there’s nowhere quite like this great city. By day, he holds a steady job as a copywriter at a creative firm in Inglewood, Calgary’s first neighbourhood. By night, he’s the author of children’s educational books, covering topics ranging from the Winter Olympics to Canada’s national symbol—the majestic beaver. In his spare time, Blaine’s a master of the unfinished writing project, whether starting a novel, penning a one-verse song for his non-existent band, crafting a single-stanza poem or adding to his to-do-later list of ideas. It’s all a part of the plan. Neighborhood: Victoria Park Twitter: @wisemanbrewing History: blaine@calgaryisawesome.com |
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Skiles Hornig Skiles Katharine Hornig is a writer living in Calgary. You will find her searching for hidden alpine lakes and sleeping in her MSR tent on weekends. Skiles is her real name but you can call her Sky. Neighborhood: Kensington |
