Where Calgary Magazine Where May June 2017 | Page 22

CANADA 150
EVENTS IN CALGARY
Canada is celebrating 150 years of confederation
on July 1, but the festivities are already underway
in Calgary. Here are some of the ways that
Southern Alberta's host city is celebrating.
BY SILVIA PIKAL
CANADA 150
SCULPTURE
Calgary’s Canada 150 sculpture will
be popping up at different events and
locations throughout 2017. Take a
selfie with the sculpture to celebrate
the sesquicentennial at the Calgary
International Children’s Festival (May 23
- 29, page 30), SAIT main campus (June
5 - 16), and Breakfast on the Bridge (June
17, page 32).
THE CANADALAND
GUIDE TO CANADA:
WORLD TOUR
OF CANADA
MAY 13 Jesse Brown, the host and
publisher of the Canadaland podcast, is
inviting Canadians to learn more about
their history beyond the inspirational
narratives Brown says are abundant during
Canada’s 150th year. In his satirical novel,
The Canadaland Guide to Canada, Brown
promises the reader will find plenty of
shocking, funny, and surprising things
about Canada.
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where.ca
MAY/JUNE 2017
“It’s a very rude book about
a polite country,” Brown says.
“Of course what makes a country
interesting is all the nasty stuff, of which
we’ve got plenty.”
Brown says to promote the book he’s
going to engage audiences with songs and
stories about Canadian cities, amounting
to what Brown describes as a “profane
TED Talk.” Some fun facts will feature
Canada’s first prime minister, John. A.
MacDonald, who Brown says was a
“raging, raging alcoholic.”
“He drank his way through a successful
election campaign,” Brown says. “He was
really a blackout drunk throughout his time
in office. He was more drunk than most
people, but everyone was drunk. It was
really cold up here and everyone was hard
drinkin’ — that’s the roots of the country”
(page 32).
2017 STARS
ON ICE TOUR
MAY 14 Kurt Browning, Patrick Chan,
and Elvis Stojko — often touted as the
three greatest Canadian Men’s figure
skaters — are touring together for
the first time. The headlining trio will
be joined by some of Canada’s most
accomplished skating superstars,
OUR CANADA
MAY 4 - 6 Alberta Ballet celebrates
Canada’s 150th, and the dance company’s
50th anniversary, with Our Canada. This
original production portrays important
moments in Canada’s history, set to the
music of renowned Canadian musician
Gordon Lightfoot. Don’t miss 30 dancers
performing to classic Lightfoot hits such
as “Sundown” and “Wreck of the Edmund
Fitzgerald” (albertaballet50.com).