This is Calgary

What's in the city's 2027-2030 budget? And (gulp) how much will property taxes go up? Municipal affairs reporter Brendan Coulter walks us through the details. Plus, host Loren McGinnis talks to Mayor Jeromy Farkas about the proposed budget numbers. Thoughts? Story ideas? thisiscalgary@cbc.ca

Effective today (Nov. 4, 2026), water restrictions are back in effect for Calgary and area, as crews connect the new Bearspaw South feeder main into the city water system. But replacing that pipe is just one of many projects Calgary needs to do to update our ageing water infrastructure. This week, Jenny talks to Michael Thompson , COO of Calgary’s Water Utility, about why water rates in Calgary ha...

Calgary just expanded its recycling program ... meaning all sorts of stuff that used to go to the landfill can now go in the blue cart. Jenny finds out more from Sharon Howland, program management leader with the city's waste and recycling services. PLUS, we put Jenny's recycling knowledge to the test with a blue cart QUIZ! Use the City of Calgary's search tool to find out what you can now recycle...

This week, Loren talks about the results and implications of the 2026 Alberta referendum with Calgary pollster and political commentator Janet Brown and professor of political science Jared Wesley , who leads the University of Alberta's Common Ground Initiative. Thoughts? Story ideas? thisiscalgary@cbc.ca

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Calgary ahead of Monday's historic referendum. Loren walks through the significance and implications with Shannon Phillips , a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie , a senior advisor at New West Public Affairs who once served as chief of staff for Prime Minister Stephen Harper...

The Alberta referendum is just a few days away. How did we get here? Jenny digs into the history of Alberta separatism with CBC referendum unit producer Pippa Reid . This is Calgary is produced by CBC and hosted by Jenny Howe. Thoughts? Story ideas? thisiscalgary@cbc.ca

With a little over a week until Albertans cast their ballots in the provincial referendum, hear what our political panel thinks about the first nine questions being asked. Shannon Phillips is a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie is a senior advisor at New West Public Affairs who once served as chief of staf...

Got questions about The Questions?! Us too. And the Alberta referendum is less than two weeks away! So we thought a convo about the 10 referendum questions -- including the challenges of understanding them -- was warranted. This week, Jenny sits down for a behind-the-scenes convo with Rukhsar Ali and Joel Dryden , two CBC Calgary reporters who've researched and written extensively about the Qs in...

Canada has just designated the Pacific Link pipeline to the west coast as its first project in the national interest. This week on our political panel, Loren walks through the significanec and implications with Shannon Phillips , a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie , a senior advisor at New West Public Aff...

Stephen Avenue, the outdoor pedestrian mall in the heart of Calgary’s downtown, has changed in recent years. Once bustling with shoppers and tourists, the area is quieter now, with a regular police presence to monitor for crime and social disorder. Call it... an Eighth Avenue Heartache. The city wants to bring back that atmosphere and foot traffic, so it's working to revitalize Stephen Ave - one b...

This week in our politicial panel, we hear about the findings of a new CBC-commissioned poll regarding support for Alberta separating from Canada, as well as Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP government. The survey was commissioned by pollster Janet Brown. Loren talks to Shannon Phillips , a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advi...

For weeks, a private landfill has been on fire in southeast Calgary, affecting air quality in at least 19 neighbourhoods of the city. The Calgary Fire Department has the fire under control but says it could take weeks or even months to fully extinguish the blaze. The company that owns the site is also facing legal issues . This week, Jenny talks to Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth about why the...

In the first of our bonus political episodes, we hear analysis on the Alberta NDP's surprise win over the UCP in the Calgary-Shaw byelection. Loren talks to Shannon Phillips , a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie , a senior advisor at New West Public Affairs who once served as chief of staff for Prime Minis...

Did you say... Green Line? Yes, there's news. A city committee has approved a surface route along 10th Avenue Southwest as the next section of Calgary's expanding LRT network, bringing the line to the edge of downtown. Jenny talks to two city councillors whose wards run parallel about why this route is better than the above-ground options, and why — even though the dream of building the Green Line...

Calgary has a leak -- but this time, it's not a water main. It's a city councillor. Last week (Sept. 3), Ward 14’s Landon Johnston revealed he’d shared confidential preliminary budget documents with the media -- much to the frustration of Mayor Jeromy Farkas and other members of council. Why did Johnston do it? What are the impacts? What powers, if any, does city council have to prevent further le...

It's been two months since the province shut down Calgary's only supervised consumption site. What's happened since? Jenny talks to a former SCS staffer and an addiction medicine doctor about the impacts of the closure, and whether a recovery-based model of care including compassionate intervention could work. This is Calgary is hosted by Jenny Howe, and produced by CBC Calgary. Thoughts? Story id...

There's a big conversation happening right now that feels kind of hard to tackle: separatism. And the pressure to discuss it is increasing as we get closer to the Alberta referendum on October 19 . But why is it so hard to do? And how can or should you approach such a conversation, to reach across the political divide, from wherever you sit? This week, we find out with political scientist Jared We...

Contemporary Calgary got a major funding injection over the summer, to expand at its location in the downtown west end. Jenny talks to CEO David Leinster about what the revitalization involves, why the city's biggest contemporary art galler y wants to stay put in a former planetarium, and how contemporary art fits in our city identity.

This week, Jenny is looking into what makes a great city street. Our friends over at This is Vancouver recently had a conversation with former Vancouver city planner Sandy James about the necessary ingredients, and a lot of those ideas could apply anywhere in North America, including here in Calgary.

Raccoons are still something of a novelty for most Calgarians. But they're becoming more common ... and can get into mischief. First, we talk to a local guy who's been trying in vain for FIVE years to spot a raccoon here. Then we head to southeast Calgary, to find out whether a homeowner managed to get the raccoon out of his garage attic.

What's greasily delicious, free on your birthday, and packaged in a bright yellow box? Chicken on the Way , of course -- a Calgary fast food institution that's been around since 1958... and is STILL being run by the same family. In this fan-favourite episode from early April, Jenny talks COTW lore with owner Russ Dunn, learns to make corn fritters with manager Haley Andela, and hears why some hard...

As part of the city's new Water Efficiency Plan , Calgary now has a watering schedule for lawns and gardens. But... what does it mean for you? This week, Loren talks to Rehana Rajabali, Manager of Natural Environment & Adaptation with the City of Calgary, about how the schedule was developed, why the city brought it into effect (even though there’s plenty of water around this year!), and why M...

Imagine if Calgary got rid of one of its most iconic landmarks. (OK, ok... besides the Saddledome.) Maybe the Calgary Tower? Because that's what's happening up in Edmonton. That city has unveiled a plan to decommission the High Level Bridge - a historic structure spanning the North Saskatchewan River that's been emblematic of YEG for more than a century. This week, Jenny take you there to hear wha...

How much do you know about the history of the Stampede Grounds? It's a trip! This week, Jenny talks to Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley about how the grounds first took shape (hint: farming!) and evolved into a 200-plus-acre extravaganza of Western culture (and a lot more). Joel talks about some of his favourite historic spots on the site, the challenges of running such a major event in the middle...

It's Canada Day - a celebration of our nationhood. But as parades, barbecues, and concerts take place in provinces and territories across the country... there's talk out west about separation - and that feeling is spreading. As Alberta gears up for a referendum on separation this fall, we head to Saskatchewan, where a similar, though much smaller movement is afloat. The Saskatchewan Prosperity Pro...