Aryn Toombs
@aryn.bsky.social
Sometimes I write, sometimes I take photos, and sometimes I use R to parse large data sets in the millions of entries.
Hey everyone, I have some news: I'm creating a new project today called @thewatchdog.ca The Watchdog's editorial mission is to protect the public and defend democracy through original public interest watchdog journalism. Sign up here as it gets ready to launch: www.thewatchdog.ca/p/sign-up
Sign Up For The Watchdog
The Watchdog protects the public and defends democracy through original public interest watchdog journalism.
thewatchdog.ca
There is something incredibly gross about individuals using the search for Parker to try and achieve their own self-interested aims. I get it, you don’t like this one thing, but now is not the time. Don’t be a ghoul.
Hey, neighbour. Today I spoke to Calgary's media to share the message from the Calgary Police Service for all Calgarians to search their front yards and backyards for Parker. We want to get this young man home to his family as soon as possible, so please do your part to look at your home.
At the registries and watching a long stream of seniors with their walkers who just spent 5 minutes fighting their way up the ramp to renew their drivers licenses only to be turned away and told to come back with their passports.
That's a wrap for the Calgary Stampede for another year. And while it means the past week of non-stop events and visits the grounds has ended, I will miss the lights of the fireworks and the midway.
"Let the separatist cowboys have their costumes. Let them pound the bar, or promise miracle cures or gold beyond the next hill. We have a phrase for that in my family: all hat, no cattle." My latest for LeadNotLeave.ca. www.readtheline.ca/p/jared-wesl...
Lead. Not Leave. | Pro-Alberta, Pro-Canada Policy Initiative
Albertans want real solutions, not a divisive separation referendum. Explore policy proposals, the climate/energy MOU, and an alternative path for Alberta.
leadnotleave.ca
Solid story questioning Elections Alberta's math when it threw out the Water Not Coal petition -- www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Questions emerge about statistical sampling used on rejected anti-coal petition | CBC News
A statistics professor raises concerns about Elections Alberta's sampling method used to verify Corb Lund's Water Not Coal petition which was deemed to be under the signature threshold last week.
cbc.ca
It’s probably going to be a hard pill to swallow for the Calgary media folks at 660 and 960 they get laid off and the Rogers bigwigs party at Barbarella just down the street.
Columnist Courtney Walcott said that given we can feed anyone who wants a meal for 10 days during the Calgary Stampede, surely it's possible to improve many Calgarians' food security for the other 355 days of the year. #yyc #calgary buff.ly/oVI8Q8D
Walcott: The Calgary Stampede - A glimpse at ending food insecurity
Every year, the Calgary Stampede does something that, for most of the year, society pretends is impossible. Through volunteerism, charity, and corporate sponsorship, Calgary feeds all who want a meal…
livewirecalgary.com
Loving this unofficial food map made by @serene.pixeltree.ca. It really does it make it far easier to find midway food worth trying this year (unlike the Budak grilled cheese sandwich). stampedefoodmap.com
Calgary Stampede Food Map 2026 | New Midway Foods + Directions
Interactive map of all 68 new midway foods at the 2026 Calgary Stampede (July 3–12). Search any food or vendor and get walking directions to its booth. Free, unofficial fan map by Pixeltree.
stampedefoodmap.com
If you ever wondered why it was that your local municipal councillor doesn’t get back to you, it’s probably due to in large part the volume of form letters filling up the inbox making it impossible to see yours.
Saturday morning coffee and a read: Come Aug. 4, 60,000+ parcels around LRT, BRT and MAX BRT Stations will be downzoned, despite transit zones being the widely suggested place to put more density. There is still no replacement plan. #yyc #calgary #yyccc buff.ly/QLBFhFm
60,000+ parcels near LRT and BRT stations face downzoning, with no Calgary replacement plan in place
More than 60,000 parcels within 600 metres of Calgary Transit LRT or Max BRT zones will be downzoned come Aug. 4, despite being where blanket rezoning opponents suggested greater density. The full…
livewirecalgary.com
Calgary, AB. This is all a little murky, still. For example, it isn't corrupt to want to revisit a vote, or to advise someone on how to get it revisited, and every big city mayor has been under pressure to boost housing supply. /1 www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...
RCMP allege former Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek aided planner in reviving rejected rezoning application
Police seeking access to messages and photos on a cellphone belonging to Gondek as part of corruption probe, court documents show
theglobeandmail.com
Income Support is meant to help Albertans meet basic needs. But does it? VCC analyzed Alberta's Income Support programs and found significant gaps between support levels and the realities of living costs today. Read our latest Income Support brief: enoughforall.ca/resources/in... #Alberta
Today I was happy to support a motion put forward by Cllr. McLean that would have other options for a downtown Green Line alignment put on the table. This is a step towards putting the Green Line back on track for the north, where we know neighbours want regular and reliable transit service.
Mayor Farkas said that the current elevated option could literally crash into a proposed Calgary-to-Banff rail line. #yyc #yyccc #calgary buff.ly/wxaJL0g
No tunnel: Province open to adjustments on the downtown Calgary Green Line
The Government of Alberta is sticking to its guns on an elevated Green Line in downtown Calgary, though city council could once again look at alternative alignments. Members of Calgary’s Executive…
livewirecalgary.com
NEW: Calgary city councillors are eyeing alternate alignments options for the Green Line through the downtown core as part of a city functional study on an elevated line. Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal voted against.
Why does this matter? What rezoning actually removed was a whole approval step. the rezoning itself took a median ~5.3 months at council. the building permit (~2 months) didn't change at all. So the time it saved was the council step. This saves money for the taxpayer as well as for the homebuyer.
“With our treaty partners, we can make the case to the federal government that because our population does not want to separate from Canada, there can be some special status afforded to municipalities who don’t want to participate,” said Paquette. #yegcc #abpoli edmontonjournal.com/news/local-n...
Councillor wants Edmonton to rejoin Canada if Alberta separates
'If Alberta can secede from Canada, can Edmonton secede from Alberta?'
edmontonjournal.com
I will note Landon is happy to take a victory lap on X for removing the climate change declaration, but not so much for increasing tax costs for Calgarians from his other motion...
Aryn Toombs@aryn.bsky.social · 2mo agoCalgary City Council, after a day of complaining about costs for Calgarians, passes Cllr. Landon Johnson's motion to increase the tax that Calgarians pay by stocking water bottles for councillors.
Calgary City Council, after a day of complaining about costs for Calgarians, passes Cllr. Landon Johnson's motion to increase the tax that Calgarians pay by stocking water bottles for councillors.
Cllr. Landon Johnson and Cllr. Andre Chabot's motion to legislative away the reality of climate change leading to disastrous effects passes #yyccc. However Cllr. Johnson's motion to 1984 references to the worldwide climate emergency down the memory hole has failed.
It's official: The CTrain free fare zone has survived—for now. City council votes 9 - 6 to defer a decision on it until early 2027 when Calgary Transit comes back with a larger fare strategy. (Voting no to this was to keep the zone without the later review.) #yyccc
The free fare zone debate has been kicked down the road to 2027, but for the time being the pro crowd (basically everyone who actually weighed in on the topic to save the free fare zone) has won the day.
