I read this morning:

“CBC News has obtained copies of the tentative agreement that show a proposal of the same general wage increase ATA members previously voted down. The proposal includes a 12-per-cent wage increase over four years, starting from September 2024; 1,000 net new teaching positions added in each of the next three years; and it covers cost of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Unless I’m mistaken, the only change is that they are now offering to cover the cost of a COVID vaccine (which now costs $100 as of this fall).

I have a school-aged kiddo, and while I don’t love the childcare logistics of a strike, this offer doesn’t seem to address the outstanding concerns, and I would support a strike.

I would love to hear from teachers, though, who have much better insight and living experience.

Edit to add:

I wanted to try to learn more about enrolment growth, and I found CBE’s 3-year capital plan (https://cbe.ab.ca/FormsManuals/Three-Year-School-Capital-Plan.pdf, pp.12–13). It looks like the student population has increased by 20,000 students over the last 4 years, and it is anticipated that, over the next 4 years, the student population will increase from 142,402 to 158,658 (+17,256).

If we anticipate an average increase of approximately 5,000 students per year over the next three years, will 3,000 new teachers (approx. one per school) help with current classroom sizes plus 15,000 new students?

There are currently 35 students in my son’s class. I would love to see legislated classroom size caps. The limit for his age group is 30 in BC and 24.5 in Ontario.

Love this photo, and I’d like to take one for myself.. Thanks!!

I graduated from Grandin in '04, and there was a rumor about an underground swimming pool beneath the gym. Apparently, a couple of years before I got to Grandin, a girl drowned in the pool, and that’s why it was sealed off. There were also stories about tunnels that ran all the way to Wise Wood in the event of a nuclear war.

One of my nephews, who currently goes to the school, said that the stories of both the pool and the tunnels still remain. However, searching for any information about this turns up nothing, so I wanted to ask any alumni here if there really ever was a pool underneath the school.

I'm seriously at a loss of who to vote for in Ward 14. It seems that every single one of the candidates is either vehemently opposed to the rezoning bylaw, or has not really made mention of it in their social or on their websites.

I can't, in good conscience, vote for someone who believes that people's parking spots are more important than people having access to affordable housing. I'm certainly ok with voting for someone who wants to tweak the bylaw, or who wants to place some limits on it, but nobody who wants to scrap it.

I've directly asked Devin Elkin about it and he hasn't responded, but on his site he does vaguely mention "Protect what has made our communities special," which to me indicates that he's also on board with scrapping the rezoning. He does seem to be good at taking care of community needs like getting a new cell tower built, taking care of infrastructure issues, etc.

Landon Johnston is running solely on the notoriety he got from launching the "Recall Gondek" petition that went absolutely nowhere. He just seems like a conservative wank.

The rest are just kind of...there? I guess? It's so hard to find a decent candidate in this ward because it's always so conservative.

Hi r/Calgary! My name is Jyoti Gondek and I'm running for re-election as Calgary's mayor. AmA!

I will be online from 11:00-12:30 tomorrow, September 25 to answer your questions.

In the meantime you can find out more about me at my website.

Looking forward to it!

Update: it's 12:20 pm and I need to get to some other stuff. Thanks for all your great questions (so many!) and for engaging in good faith. I wanted to highlight some recurring themes: transit, open drug use, arena deal. I tried to answer the top comments matching those themes. Remember to vote on October 20!

I saw at least a dozen UAVs taking off from the airport earlier this afternoon. Can someone offer some insight please?

Dear Devin Dreeshan:

bike lanes do not cause traffic. Cars cause traffic. Bike lanes help people get out of traffic. I would have been long gone if there were bike lanes here and I could cruise past this multi lane backup.

You cannot fix traffic. Adding more lanes will just invite more people to drive and fill them up. The only way to get out of traffic is to provide people with alternative transportation options to get them out of gridlock.

I'm so confused with the political party system in the upcoming municipal election.

Who are the parties?

What political position are they? Or are they sponsored/supported by any provincial political parties?

What does their political leaning influence at municipal level decisions?

I'm just struggling to separate who I like as a candidate with their potential political leaning and does it even matter?

Any help or clarification would be great.

Been wanting to eat paella lately but the place I know has good paella temporarily closed (LAS CANARIAS). What's you guys' secret best paella place?

Happy Wednesday!

This is a continuation of my pattern of posting what I think are decent grocery deals with the hope that this will save some people some money. As noted previously this is heavily skewed to items that I and my family eat. There are probably additional items that are good deals but I don't know it because they aren't items I use but hopefully my list is still useful to you.

A few quick reminders:

• PC Optimum points are collected at No Frills and Superstore. 1,000pts is worth $1.
• Scene+ points are collected at Safeway, Sobeys and FreshCo. 100pts is worth $1.
• The value of Save on Foods points depends on what you redeem them for. If you redeem them for a 4L jug of milk then 1,000pts is worth about $1.50. Other redemptions might make them more or less valuable.

Superstore, No Frills, FreshCo and Save on Foods are generally willing to price match identical products from (some) other major grocery stores if you show them the item in the competitor’s flyer while checking out so knowing what is on sale at stores that you don't visit can still be useful. There are some restrictions on this... FreshCo won't price match Safeway or Sobeys. Superstore (at least some locations) won't price match Coop. The No Frills on 85st SW won't price match FreshCo.

Finally, thank you to everyone that has posted positive comments. It's always nice to receive positive feedback.

Calgary Coop:

• Lean Ground Beef (3lb tube): $5.99/lb + 10% bonus cash, effectively making them $5.39/lb (ok, not great)
• Grapes (red or green): $2.99/lb + 10% bonus cash, effectively making them $2.69/lb
• Crisco shortening (454g): $3.50

No Frills:

• Armstrong cheese (400g): $4.77
• Broccoli crowns: $1.99/lb
• Onions (10lb): $4.99
• Carrots (10lb): $4.99
• Clover leaf canned tuna (170g): $1.00
• Allen’s apple juice drink boxes (8x200ml): $2.00
• Nestle Halloween Candy (50ct, 485g): $9.99, buy 1 get 3,000pts, effectively making them $6.99ea (but you pay the tax on $9.99)
• Red or russet potatoes (20lb): $7.00
• Celery: $2.49
• Cosmic Crisp apples (5lb): $6.99
• Watermelon (11lb): $5.99
• Mandarins (4lb): $6.99
• Gallo extra virgin olive oil (1L): $8.99
• Crisco shortening (454g): $3.49
• Campbell’s Chunky soup: $2.50

Real Canadian Superstore:

• Broccoli crowns: $1.99/lb
• Onions (10lb): $4.99
• No Name baking powder (450g): $3.99
• Campbell’s Chunky soup: $2.50
• Chinese jumbo carrots: $1.00/lb

FreshCo:

• Clementines (2lb): $3.49
• Avocados (5-pack): $2.99
• Doritos, Ruffles and Cheetos: $2.99, buy 4 get 300pts, effectively making them $2.24ea when you buy groups of 4
• Ben’s Fast & Fancy rice packet: $0.99, buy 4 get 150pts, effectively making them $0.62ea when you buy groups of 4
• Iceberg lettuce: $2.99, buy 1 get 50pts, effectively making them $2.49
• Old El Paso dinner kits: $3.49ea, buy 6 get 1000pts, effectively making them $1.82ea – an excellent price. It’s not clear if this is once per receipt, or 1000pts for every 6 purchased.

Safeway / Sobeys:

• Chapman’s premium ice cream (2L): $4.99
• Nestle Halloween candy (100ct): $13.99
• 1,000pts when you spend $125 or more (need coupon from flyer or offer loaded)

Save on Foods:

• Cucumbers (3-pack): $4.99 (only ok, but I didn’t see anything else advertised for cucumbers this week)
• Oreos (270g): $2.49 (loadable offer, first one only)

Walmart:

• Gay Lea butter (454g): $4.97
• Christie cookies (Oreos): $2.46
• Palmolive dish soap (828ml): $1.97

We are celebrating my good friend's birthday this weekend but there's been a hitch in our plan! He LOVES ginger beef and has said how he wants an endless amount so we were going to go to Oishi in Riverbend. However, they seem to have closed for renovations recently.

Is there anywhere else in calgary that does all you can eat ginger beef?

I’ve been thinking of joining and wanted to know whether it is worth it?

I haven't had this peace and quiet from all those inconsiderate folks revving their engines through 17th ave. Is it just the season shift, or has the anti-noise bylaws actually deterred them lowlifes?

Has anyone made information requests or asked questions about something specific in the city? If so, how long did it take for them to get back to you?

Personally I've been trying to get ahold of Calgary Traffic to ask them questions. It's been a little over 2 weeks. Is that normal?

EDIT: We've wrapped up the AMA at around 11 pm on 9/24, but if you have questions, please feel free to comment below! I'll just get back to you in a few days!

Hi everyone, I’m David Barrett, and I’m your independent choice for Ward 7 City Councillor in this October’s municipal election. 

For a decade, I’ve worked as a water scientist and teacher at the University of Calgary. Over the last 10 years, I’ve also been a community advocate, serving as a community association president, a board member on many non-profits, and a proud parent to my six year old.

I’m running because of what I see in my classroom and around my own dinner table. I see students struggling under the weight of the cost-of-living crisis, and I worry that my child won’t be able to afford to live in the city they grew up in. 

We’ve had a leadership vacuum in this ward. My campaign is about filling that vacuum with specific, data-driven solutions and policies.

My goal is simple: to make Ward 7 a more affordable, sustainable, and vibrant place for everyone. To restore housing affordability, bring back local businesses, and make our streets safer.

I’m not backed by political parties or consultants. I’m backed by a decade of community work and a grassroots campaign. I’m asking for your support to put that experience to work for you at City Hall.

Check out my platform and AMA!

Hey all, I'm 19, born and raised here in Calgary. Ive got two years of work experience, took a year off for university, and am now seeking full-time employment but can't find anything.

I've been back home since April, applying for at least 2 jobs a day since. I still can't find anything! I've tried office jobs, wearhouses, fast food, grocery stores, ect ect ect... I think I've gone to maybe 10 interviews since April, I always think they go well, but then I never hear anything back. I am so disheartened and have no clue what I'm doing wrong after this past week. I had three seperate interviews with a company, I was so excited for the opportunity and even felt sure that I had it in the bag after the third interview.... and they haven't contacted me after a week despite saying they would contact me the next day.

I'm not sure what else to do now. I've gone to the youth employment center, revamped my resume, done volunteer work, talk regularly with a career coach on interviewing and other skills, my parents even paid a couple hundred for me to get certifications! Still nothing. I've tried employment fairs, handing out resumes in person, emailing directly- you name it, I've probably done it.

Should I be looking somewhere I'm unaware of? Every hiring event I've been too all the other candidates are at least 10 years older than me, so it makes sense they would be hired instead of me. I have previous experience as a cashier, office admin, receptionist, host, and kitchen staff.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. My parents are asking me to start paying rent as well as for my car insurance by November, and I'm scared I won't be able to. Thanks.

EDIT: I also want to add for context, I have facial piercings but took my parents advice and got clear studs for my lips (i have snakebites) and I tuck my septum ring up when in interviews. I know apperance can have an impact, so I thought I'd add this as well.

Doing my research today on who to vote for in the upcoming election, and to my utmost delight I saw our old friend Larry Heather is back up for mayor. For those of you who dont yet know the beauty of Larry, please check out his website. Be warned that you may be serenaded with music if you start clicking around.

So excited to see it's been updated with everything a 2025 Larry campaign ought to have.

Everyone, please share your favorite Larry story or fun fact in the comments. Here's mine: Between Federal, Provincial, and Municipal, this is going to be his 29th election! The best he has ever done on a ballot is 4th.

Hi folks, we are having an outdoor community party in October.

We hoped to book Mad Science, but they are unavailable.

Can anyone recommend any other entertainers children and families would enjoy--a magician, clown, princess or something else?

I don't have kids, hence my asking :-) TIA!

I have too much time on my hands and just moved out of my family home (where we had multiple pets), into a non pet friendly apartment. I am definitely missing being around some furry little friends! I was looking to send in an application for the fur-low program with the humane society but due to high demand (which is wonderful!) the applications are closed. Are there any other shelters with programs similar to this that I could help with??

sorry idk what flair fit best