After the Flood
Happy Canada/Dominion Day, everyone.
I hope you’re all coping well with the postdiluvial environment. As most of you know, Margarian and I were among the lucky ones; aside from an overactive sump pump, we were both high and dry when the rains came. We had to cancel the solstice sunrise vigil for the first time in years because of the flooding; if any die-hards actually made it up there, let me know, and you’ll receive an honourary Nenshi noun.
This was Calgary’s Katrina, our 9/11. I’d long thought we were relatively safe from a disaster of this magnitude, with only a severe hailstorm or perhaps a tornado to worry about. Surely the system of dams upriver from Calgary would control the possibility of another flood on the scale of the one that hit here in 1930’s, right? So they built up the floodplains, and turned the East Village into prime real estate. Calgary got a lesson in hubris that weekend, and the city, like many places across the province, may never be the same.
My thoughts go out to Michelle and Sean, Gayle, Kate, Lainie, Nicky, Jessica, and all our other friends and acquaintances in Calgary, High River, and other places in southern Alberta who had to evacuate because of to the flood. Thanks go out to everyone volunteering or donating to flood relief. For the latest updates from the City, go to http://www.calgarycitynews.com . I wish I could help more than financially; but there’s only so much of me to go around.
I’m sure opinions will vary as to whether or not this was the result of climate change, or if we’ve just been returning to a “normal” pattern of unstable weather systems. One of the newspaper articles I read lately suggested that the more-than-usual wandering of the Jet Stream (again a symptom of climate change) caused the system to stay in the area, and flood the rivers to four times their normal capacity.
Special caveats on this month’s schedule; check with the organizers to determine if any events have been moved or cancelled due to the flooding.
July Birthdays: Tash L., K. Lee, Dawn J., Lady Susan, Jill H., Elizabeth Anne, Krystin, Marla-Lee, Sean, Caroline, Kerri T., Jen T., and probably some of my Facebook friends. Happy Birthday, everyone! Let me know if I’ve missed yours.
July Events:
Note these events are listed for information purposes only. Dates and locations may be subject to change; see the source for details. If I’ve missed anyone and you’d like to add to this listing, please contact me.
Jul. 1: Canada Day.
Jul. 5-14: Wear-Denim-or-Die Week. Party like you’ve just survived a flood.
Jul. 6, 7:30 p.m.: COGCOA Coffee Cauldron. Info at cogcoa dot ab dot ca.
Jul. 8, 1:14 a.m. New Moon. CelticTree-Month of Tinne (Holly) begins.
Jul. 10, 7:00 p.m.: Beyond the Book of Shadows Lughnasadh Social Moot. Info: http://www.meetup.com/Beyond-the-book-of-Shadows/
Jul. 12-14: COGCOA Summerfest Campout. Info: http://www.cogcoa.ab.ca/events/summerfest.php
Jul. 16, 7:30 p.m.: Calgary Witches’ Meetup in north Calgary hosted by moi. Info: http://www.meetup.com/Calgary-Witches.
Jul. 22, 12:16 p.m.: Full (Buck) Moon.
Jul. 27, 2:00 p.m. Calgary Heathens Monthly Meet-and-Greet. Info: http://www.calgaryheathens.org
Jul. 27, 3:00 p.m. Beyond the Book of Shadows Book Discussion: Brian Bates: The Way of Wyrd. See Jul. 10.
Jul. 27, 7:30 p.m. sharp: COGCOA Lammas Ritual.
Jul. 28, 1:00 p.m.: Cochrane Wiccan Meetup. See Jun. 16.
Aug. 2-5: PanFest near Edmonton. Info: http://alpha.panfest.ca
Blessings,
Hergest
I hope you’re all coping well with the postdiluvial environment. As most of you know, Margarian and I were among the lucky ones; aside from an overactive sump pump, we were both high and dry when the rains came. We had to cancel the solstice sunrise vigil for the first time in years because of the flooding; if any die-hards actually made it up there, let me know, and you’ll receive an honourary Nenshi noun.
This was Calgary’s Katrina, our 9/11. I’d long thought we were relatively safe from a disaster of this magnitude, with only a severe hailstorm or perhaps a tornado to worry about. Surely the system of dams upriver from Calgary would control the possibility of another flood on the scale of the one that hit here in 1930’s, right? So they built up the floodplains, and turned the East Village into prime real estate. Calgary got a lesson in hubris that weekend, and the city, like many places across the province, may never be the same.
My thoughts go out to Michelle and Sean, Gayle, Kate, Lainie, Nicky, Jessica, and all our other friends and acquaintances in Calgary, High River, and other places in southern Alberta who had to evacuate because of to the flood. Thanks go out to everyone volunteering or donating to flood relief. For the latest updates from the City, go to http://www.calgarycitynews.com . I wish I could help more than financially; but there’s only so much of me to go around.
I’m sure opinions will vary as to whether or not this was the result of climate change, or if we’ve just been returning to a “normal” pattern of unstable weather systems. One of the newspaper articles I read lately suggested that the more-than-usual wandering of the Jet Stream (again a symptom of climate change) caused the system to stay in the area, and flood the rivers to four times their normal capacity.
Special caveats on this month’s schedule; check with the organizers to determine if any events have been moved or cancelled due to the flooding.
July Birthdays: Tash L., K. Lee, Dawn J., Lady Susan, Jill H., Elizabeth Anne, Krystin, Marla-Lee, Sean, Caroline, Kerri T., Jen T., and probably some of my Facebook friends. Happy Birthday, everyone! Let me know if I’ve missed yours.
July Events:
Note these events are listed for information purposes only. Dates and locations may be subject to change; see the source for details. If I’ve missed anyone and you’d like to add to this listing, please contact me.
Jul. 1: Canada Day.
Jul. 5-14: Wear-Denim-or-Die Week. Party like you’ve just survived a flood.
Jul. 6, 7:30 p.m.: COGCOA Coffee Cauldron. Info at cogcoa dot ab dot ca.
Jul. 8, 1:14 a.m. New Moon. CelticTree-Month of Tinne (Holly) begins.
Jul. 10, 7:00 p.m.: Beyond the Book of Shadows Lughnasadh Social Moot. Info: http://www.meetup.com/Beyond-the-book-of-Shadows/
Jul. 12-14: COGCOA Summerfest Campout. Info: http://www.cogcoa.ab.ca/events/summerfest.php
Jul. 16, 7:30 p.m.: Calgary Witches’ Meetup in north Calgary hosted by moi. Info: http://www.meetup.com/Calgary-Witches.
Jul. 22, 12:16 p.m.: Full (Buck) Moon.
Jul. 27, 2:00 p.m. Calgary Heathens Monthly Meet-and-Greet. Info: http://www.calgaryheathens.org
Jul. 27, 3:00 p.m. Beyond the Book of Shadows Book Discussion: Brian Bates: The Way of Wyrd. See Jul. 10.
Jul. 27, 7:30 p.m. sharp: COGCOA Lammas Ritual.
Jul. 28, 1:00 p.m.: Cochrane Wiccan Meetup. See Jun. 16.
Aug. 2-5: PanFest near Edmonton. Info: http://alpha.panfest.ca
Blessings,
Hergest
Labels: calgary flood, Nenshi noun
posted by Stephen Hergest at 5:04 pm
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