Calgary is basically in the middle of the Prairies. The two
pseudo rivers that typically run through it are a far cry from real rivers
that many of us grew up with. For the last few days however, our city has been awash
with rain and flood water. An occurrence that we were told in 2008 was a once
in a century happening.
It’s interesting to see how the stories have unfolded, how
the city has banded together and the perennially negative have continued that
way. I have stayed off social media for a reason, the local News has been
sufficient and still I have heard all that I need to know. How many days or
weeks will this situation be centre-stage in a city that is usually dry.
How long will the stories of disaster and loss be a part of
our city’s psyche? I have discarded from my brain, the news items about sewage
backup and looting, about people taking out their canoes on the fast moving
river to get a better perspective (Darwin Award). Instead, I have tried to
assimilate that strangers bring coffee to those cleaning up their yards and
that there is a local plumber offering free service to those who need it. Then
there’s the news segment of an elderly woman holding hands with her equally
elderly spouse. “When I saw my deck floating away with all the flower pots
intact, all I could do was laugh" she said. That is what I want to remember.
The Calgary Stampede is just around the
corner, 9 days to bring the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth to life.
