PARKER’S PEN // DAVID PARKER
Parker’s Pen BY DAVID PARKER
M
y first company event in Calgary was in 1965, a barbecue put on by The Albertan newspaper at Happy Valley, a park that became Valley Ridge. It was also my first experience in drinking beer from a bottle; and I feel guilty it has only now become legal. Having to apply for a license to have a glass of wine with a Sunday afternoon picnic seems another excuse to find work for City Hall in first deciding which parks would be part of the test and worrying about making sure that only 10 and not 11 people are imbibing. Wouldn’t that be awful? I was pleased to see that Councillor Sean Chu brought some sense to the debate by recalling that when he was a city police officer and came across people ignoring the strict prohibition rules, he would just ask them to be careful and go on his way.
Must be getting close to election time by the number of comments I hear regarding our current politicians. Not the least is spending $2.3 million dollars of our money erecting signs to post 40 KPH streets. Drivers who ignore 50 will pay no attention to 40 and we don’t have the resources to clamp down on them. Easier and cheaper to say 40 KPH unless posted; and then, not in my day, but self-drive cars of the future will be governed down to speed limits so there will be no need for any signs.
I mentioned in an earlier column that we are going to be faced with a new mayor and several new councillors who begin the job without serving an apprenticeship in civic matters. Yet, I’m assured that new blood with new ideas and some business sense will more than make up for lack of political experience. This city has been less than business friendly and that needs to be put right.
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JULY 2021 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM
There are so many blogs that just don’t have any interest for me, but the ones I receive from Richard White are always creative and engaging. In discussing the new civic parkade along 9th Avenue, while applauding the design, he suggested that the cost is a bit much computing each stall at $160,000.
On the subject of 9th Avenue, I must relate my frustration in driving from downtown into Inglewood. Barriers everywhere so I thought it smart to return by heading east, turn left at Spolumbos, over the bridge and back west along Memorial Drive. Bad idea as only one lane was open to vehicles while bicycles buzzed along the riverside. Time seems to be of no importance to traffic engineers resulting in a lot of frustrated drivers.
And the good news is that post-pandemic we are preparing to welcome a host of convention visitors. No recent calls from the convention centre front but already on the books we can expect 2,000 delegates at the 2022 Lions Club convention, up to 15,000 at the 2023 World Petroleum Congress, and a whole lot more when Rotary International makes a return visit in 2025. Great boosts for our hotels, including the new downtown Dorian.
Final Words One who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.
