Back from the Calgary Stampede

Other than the kids having a great time hopping between rides and getting fascinated by the farm animals on display - especially a litter of piglets suckling their sleeping mother lol, rodeos etc; what I found most fascinating was the city of Calgary itself. 

These days it seems young families who can no longer afford the pricey housing markets of BC have fled straight to Calgary. During our trip we paid a visit to a few of them, and we could see the huge impact of this ongoing exodus. All four neighborhoods that we visited did not exist the last time I was in Calgary about 10 years ago.

Enabled by the endless expanse of flat prairie land, the growth and construction of dwellings and the commercial centers that support them has happened at breakneck speed. And the winters? The people don't feel the cold much due to the warm "Chinook" wind they say. It also gets as bright as summertime.

It's too bad that the large in-migration has also caused property values to increase. I wonder where next the migrants will head. Perhaps Edmonton? Or if history is anything to go by, then these effects will continue to ripple out from Calgary through the nearest towns and into the rest of the province..