Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
I used to think that people who used social media just liked the attention…and even if that may be a little true, I have discovered that social media can help you immensely for your professional profile!
For those who do not know which social media platform to “go professional” on, I suggest LinkedIn, one of the largest professional networks that connect people. I also recommend Twitter, especially if you are a blogger. You can get more hits by tweeting your post and connecting it with your Facebook account. Plus, more companies will know that you are a part of a well-established blog.
Keep in mind that there are implications of posting something online, no matter what the context is. The wonderful thing about social media is that it is easy to share content: so keep in mind that something you post may get back to your boss or mom. You can read more about how the web never forgets on American Journalism Review.
Avoid posting something inappropriate: you do not want one image to tarnish your reputation and ruin your chances with a future employer
Separate your personal life and your professional life: you do not want to publicize a negative Tweet on an account where employers can see it
Edit your profile information: ensure it is up to date and contains relevant information
Review your privacy settings on your social networks: you do not want to make everything public, plus on Facebook you can put people on the “Limited Profile” list
When you are building a professional profile, remember:
Use a professional picture
Invite people to your network
Join groups and try to be active
Update your profile and statuses, but avoid over-using as people do not want to be “spammed” with updates
Avoid posting any inappropriate content such as complaints about your employer, statuses containing profanity or actions that are frowned upon, and so forth
Good luck with your professional profile and look out for more articles related to professionalism, jobs and careers! If you have any suggestions then feel free to comment below!
Ever since my trip to Las Vegas, the excessive food has really weighed me down. Literally. So to turn that around, over the course of February until now, I have been trying out “clean eating”. I don’t know how to define it, but I found this lovely bit of information from The Gracious Pantry that defines it wonderfully. I get most of my guidance from Instagram ahaha….pitiful, but hey! It worked kind of. I’m actually so devoted to this that I’m going to plan something out with a nutritionist, I’ve revamped my fridge and pantry, and my parents have learned to add weirder items onto the grocery list. It’s wonderful and it also annoys them, but the mindset gets the whole family into healthy mode.
Basically, by eating clean, you try to eliminate unnecessary toxins from what you ingest. And blahblah, your body is a temple not a dumpster – that kind of mentality. It’s not a short term crash diet or cleanse, and the focus isn’t to lost weight, but to develop a lifestyle and maintain more permanent results through good habits and self-discipline. I’m still working on the self-discipline part. Usually, if I’m alone, the clean eating goes really well. If you bring me out to dinner or a party, I just let myself go :C…
Also, you would be surprised that even if you work out a lot, you won’t see good results without first fixing your diet.
Okiie, here we are with clean eating:
Eat Lots Of Plants – Going all natural is the way your body likes it. The less processed, genetically-modified, human-altered food, the better. Just think of it as a diet of living out in the wild like a caveman. They actually have a diet for that, and I think it’s the Paleo diet. ß That one’s healthy too. Eat your vegetables, kids. The more colorful, the better.
Include Healthy Fats – Turkey and fish are the best meat options. There’s also avocados, nuts, nut butters, olives, seed oils etc. Don’t fear fat because by eating it, it actually helps balance out your mental health, heart, cholesterol, and even weight. Tosca Reno has got a list of those foods below!
Healthy fats to the rescue
Drink So Much Water – Like omg, you don’t understand. I pee so much at school. We actually often mistake thirst for hunger. So before you go for the pantry, drink some water and wait a couple of minutes to decide whether you’re craving food or you’re actually just thirsty.
Read Labels and Eat Fewer Ingredients – Check the ingredients, usually the ones listed first make up most of the food product. So on your cereal boxes, check if sugar is pretty high up there. You wanna cut out sugar and salt, just unhealthy. Salt is good in moderation because of the iodine needed to maintain your thyroid, but not excessively in processed foods. All the words that sound scientific like the glycerides, dextroses, maltodextrin etc., probably means it’s bad for you.
Eat Several Smaller Meals or Only Eat When You’re Hungry – The smaller portions make you full enough to not overeat and your body has an easier time digesting. It helps your body remain more balanced if you don’t shove piles of food all at once.
Note: For some time, I counted calories and tracked my meals, but that just turns obsessive and I don’t think it’s good for you to eat based on the numbers you see on the calorie counter. Eat what’s healthy, listen to your body (if you’re hungry, then eat). Other people on the web may argue differently, but that’s just my 2 cents.
These are some of the things I’ve cooked up using all natural ingredients, little to no sugar, and no processed junk: (Click view full-size image if you want the food in HD)
Whole Wheat Pasta, Veggies and Light tomato Sauce with a side of Scrambled Egg Whites
Whole Wheat Wrap with Avocado Spread,Lean Turkey, Mixed Veggies and Sriracha
Green Smoothie
Whole Wheat Pancakes with a Peanut Butter Sauce topped with Strawberries
Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt and Fruits
Avocado-stuffed Eggs and Cottage Cheese-stuffed Mushrooms. Carrots too!
Peanut Butter Banana smoothie with a Black Sesame Mugcake
E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an event held once a year in Los Angeles where all the major gaming companies present their newest games and their plans for the coming year. This year’s E3 conference is one of the most important, with both Microsoft and Sony releasing details on their new consoles, the Xbox One and the Playstation 4.
Microsoft began the presentations, showing off a set of new games both for the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. A surprising addition to the presentation was Microsoft releasing a new Xbox 360 – that’s right, an Xbox 360. In the midst of the new games and the new console, Microsoft took a moment and presented a new 360, which they stated was slimmer, sleeker and quieter than previous models. The games were varied, with many attracting more attention than others.
One of the most innovative was Forza 5, which took an entirely new approach to racing AI, while also attracting attention by showing one of the two Mclaren F1s in existence. As you play the game, the computer learns from your driving style, and when you aren’t playing, uses what it has learned from you to play against other players around the world. According to Turn 10, this system will offer all users a more realistic driving experience, while also rewarding players for their “AI’s” successes by giving them credits for wins that their AI earns.
Other games that attracted attention included Metal Gear Solid V, which has been claimed to offer an improved play style. In the trailer for the game, the traditional emphasis on stealth of the Metal Gear series was seen, earning great approval from the watching crowd. Many other sequels came out as well, including Dark Souls II and The Witcher 3. Microsoft continued its commitment to multiplayer games with an adaptation of World of Tanks for both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One.
Numerous features of the Xbox One concerned many gamers, with the emphasis on DRM, or the control that Microsoft will be exerting over the rights users have for their gamer, being one of the biggest worries for Xbox One usage. Though the details have yet to come clear, right now Microsoft seems to be pushing towards more control over all your games. Should you want to share a game with a friend, you will not be able to just give them the disk, as the game will be tied to your account. This “feature” led Sony to issue a video in response, demonstrating the contrast of that system to sharing games on the PS4.
Hopefully by now you are in touch with the goals of the World Partnership Walk (WPW) through the articles that Malika and Sarena have both written. So on the Sunday morning that is June 9th, I volunteered there along with Malika (we saw Sarena later on) and off the day began! Without further ado, please enjoy this vertical wall of photos that represent the awesomeness that was everything about the event on Prince’s Island:
Mayor Nenshi!
What was interesting about the food options at WPW was that you had to buy food tickets from the organizers themselves; all the money will go to proceeds to support global poverty.Someone enjoys their meal from Africana Eatery…. If you haven’t, don’t forget to check out Sarena’s review.
I will be bringing you an review of the pizza at Avatara next week from their presence at the walk, but read Malika’s interview post on the Global Village tent and stay tuned for her upcoming interview with Curtis Glencross!
Don’t forget to check out @WPWCalgary for more wonderful photos and updates on the amount of money they have donated towards Global Poverty! 🙂 Next year will be the 30th anniversary since this campaign began!
The climax of the crazy teenage “YOLO” phase may have passed, but it hasn’t completely disappeared. At first I thought it was cool. Then I realized so many people just used it as an excuse to be insanely stupid. Then I decided I’d bring my own meaning to it.
In case you are unaware, YOLO is an acronym for You Only Live Once. Phrases with similar meanings have been around for ages, and this specific one came to light in the past few years after some rappers used it and brought the word into the spotlight.
Originally, YOLO could be seen as another variant of Carpe Diem (seize the day), with the underlying message that you should live your life to the fullest. However, as the popularity of this catchphrase escalated, the meaning took a shift for the bad. On twitter and all over the internet, YOLO was used to justify rash decisions and in-the-moment choices that didn’t include a lot of any common sense. Examples include a young rap artist who tweeted “Drunk af going 120 drifting corners #F***It #YOLO”, who died from a car crash moments later (source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/young-adults-tweet-yolo-live-engaged-reckless-behavior/story?id=18027279#.UbfG-EJQ-i1). Similar hashtag occurrences include ones relating to breaking the law, treating others poorly, adopting bad habits, and excusing unhealthy behaviour.
All over the internet, there are news articles and blog posts about the reckless people teenagers are becoming based on this word. YOLO has brought about many conversations of maturity and responsibility in youth, and I believe we should be taking a stand to turn this image around!
Let’s go back to the phrase I said was very similar to YOLO: Carpe Diem. Now that YOLO has a bad face, maybe looking at it from a different angle can help us get the positive message it does contain. There’s no doubt that things change in an instant. Life flashes before our eyes. Friends move away, relatives die, situations change. This is where YOLO could and should come in to play. Thinking to just snooze away the weekend and search around on tumblr? How about you try something new. Connect with people.
My teacher, who’s actually really cool and very much human, hates YOLO because some older students were using it as a reason to be idiotic, but I wish everyone would realize the good behind the word. We need to all realize that things don’t last forever. Please, just be you, don’t miss your chances, seize opportunities, and open and enter as many doors as you can. Use YOLO the right way. Make it meaningful. Give it power.
I say we take this phrase and use it to prove the good in ourselves and in the world, rather than reinforce the stereotype of teen stupidity.
And if you don’t agree with all this, well, YOLO I guess?
I have tried to add a good mix of different genres, but I am not really into pop music or rap. So most of the songs from those genres are radio hits that I happen to like, so they might be those annoyingly overplayed songs, if so, I apologize.
1. Otis by Kanye West
2. Eat it up it’s Good for You by Two Door Cinema Club
3. Infinitesimal by Mother Mother
4. Global Concepts by Robert DeLong
5. Gone, Gone, Gone by Philip Philip’s
6. Miracle Mile by Cold War Kids
7. C’mon C’mon by One Direction
8. Started from the Bottom by Drake
9. Let her Go by Passenger
10. Call it What you Want by Foster the People
11. Worship You by Vampire Weekend
12. You Need Me, I don’t Need You by Ed Sheeran
13. Living on Love by Family of the Year
14. We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus
15. Babel by Mumford and Sons
16. Awkward by San Cisco
17. Whisper by The Dear Hunter
18. San Francisco by The Mowgli’s
19. Colours by Grouplove
20. I’ll be Alright by Passion Pit
21. Hero by Family of the Year
22. We’re Gonna Be Friends by The White Stripes
23. Anna Sun by WALK THE MOON
24. All These Things That I Have Done by The Killers
25. King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men
26. Natalie by Bruno Mars
27. Radioactive (Grouplove & Captain Cuts remix) by Imagine Dragons
28. Recovery by Frank Turner
29. Heart Attack by One Direction
30. Can’t Keep my Mind Off by Data Romance
I tried to mix them up into a nice playlist with a little bit of everything in an interesting order, so you won’t get bored. You can get all of these songs on iTunes. Enjoy!
The presence of LGBTTIQ (an all-encompassing definition meaning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer that is more commonly shortened to LGBT) youth are demonstrated through an upsurge in awareness trends such as gay-straight alliances in High Schools and pride parades such the upcoming Calgary Pride 2013. Through these tides, however, the potential counterbalancing stereotypes are still prevalent in young people today; “gay”, “queer”, “lesbian”, “dyke”, and slangs in this fashion are used among teenagers in inappropriate context, sometimes at the expense of these sexual minority youth.
Scanning through statistics such as the Generation Queer report, 27.5% of the 1,358 Canadian youth surveyed reported that they have witnessed verbal abuse and harassment being targeted to a LGBT Youth at their own age, just slightly over 1 youth out of 4 in the sample. From the experiences of these adolescents themselves, this CBC report shows that the numbers sharply increase to the point where 73% of that sample say they feel unsafe at school.
External social acceptance places a challenge to this group, but the significance of the internal, psychological barrier that can form cannot be ignored either. 30% of sexual minority youth have attempted suicide, with the rate 14 times higher for homosexual young adult males than for heterosexual ones, as seen in this document.
Don’t forget the fact that even the most accurate research on this demographic can be skewed slightly; many have chosen to not reveal their sexual orientation in fear of pressure from their peers and society. In this poster made by the gay-straight alliance at the Ross Sheppard High School in Edmonton, it is ironic that these young people are not accepted and respected at the same level for other matters such as equality among race or social groups.
With this emerging issue, so comes the programs that address it. This is the first year that Camp fYrefly is being hosted in the Calgary area in partnership with the Calgary Sexual Health Center (CSHC). From July 11th to 14th, Camp Jubilee in Cochrane will be the retreat for these sexual minority Youth ranging from from 14 to 24 years old. This camp provides the opportunity for these young people to share their personal experiences and interact with others who share the same connections.
Read some of the participant’s experiences and testimonials here and watch this video for a highlight of the camp:
Although the applications have closed for both campers and volunteers (sadly), take a look at their facebook page and their donation page for Calgary’s camp. What is donated for the Calgary location stays in this location. 🙂 There is always the prospect of applying for the camp next year.
I have not come in contact with many LGBT youth during my volunteering journey, but this demographic intrigues me as they are subject to much psychological struggle in recognizing their sexual orientation. It is always my pleasure to read any comments that you send to me on the bottom of this post!
Thank you to the Calgary Sexual Health Centre – CSHC for providing me with this opportunity to share this program with our readers. 🙂
In any game, whether it be Soccer, Street Fighter 2, Chess or League of Legends, the art of predicting your opponents movements is a vital skill. In fighting game terminology, we call this YOMI, which is a Japanese term that David Sirlin (a game designer) defines as “knowing the mind of your opponent.”
Before I teach you how exactly to figure out your best friends every single move, let’s clearly define what Yomi is and what it isn’t.
What Yomi is:
– reading one step ahead of your opponent’s predictions
– tricking your opponent to fall for a different move than what you intend
– trial and error: testing your opponents and learning
– adapting: always figuring out where your opponent is going to be and the best move in each situation
– a skill that requires intelligence and patience
Yomi in a nutshell.
What Yomi isn’t
– psychic mind reading
– super fast reflexes allowing you to react to any situation
– detailing the moves of your opponent four to five steps ahead, then writing an entire strategy guide to counter them
– a bribe where you ask your opponent what moves they like best
So now that we’ve defined what Yomi is and isn’t, let’s move on to actually practicing it. You can practice Yomi by using the techniques that I will be describing in these series of articles. However, before we get into these techniques, there is another element in Yomi. They are the three layers of Yomi listed down below:
Layer 1. Reaction (opponent reads me correctly/incorrectly and goes up to level 2 by performing a counter. eg. Trevin will block, so I will throw him) Layer 2. Reaction to Reaction (I read my opponent reading me and I counter his counter. eg. Robert thinks I’m gonna block, so I’m gonna punch him when he tries to throw me) Layer 3. Reaction to Reaction to Reaction (opponent reads me reading him reading me and he counters my counter with a counter. eg. Trevin thinks that I’m gonna throw him, so he’s gonna try and punch me in the face. I’ll respond by blocking.) Layer 4+. Often not shown in games since it just becomes way too complicated, so Yomi Layer 4 becomes Yomi Layer 1.
Most techniques can be used in any level. One of the most basic techniques I’ll talk about now lies instinctively in every human and that is inductive reasoning.
Inductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning is the process of coming up with a conclusion based on a numerous amount of events that have happened before. For example, let us say that I am undergoing a test where I try to figure out whether a Red Panda will attack you or not if you tap it on the head. If I tap the Red Panda on the head five times and it attacks me every time, Inductive Reasoning concludes that every time you tap a Red Panda on the head, it will attack you. 🙁
In a game, you would then use this knowledge to come up with an appropriate counter. Let’s use basketball as another example. “Every time Bryan has the ball, he has the tendency to pass to Robert.” In this example, you would use this conclusion derived from Inductive Reasoning to position yourself between Bryan and Robert to block the pass. Congratulations! You’ve hit the first layer of Yomi.
HOW DID U NO I WUZ GONA PASS TO ROBERT ?! this guy is hacking in RL or something
How does this work with Yomi? The application of Inductive Reasoning, which is deriving a conclusion and countering it appropriately, is most commonly seen in the first layer of Yomi. However, your opponents are human beings too – they can apply inductive reasoning to your reasoning and counter that, which leads into the second layer of Yomi. This can continue on until the third level of Yomi, in which it stops there since most games won’t support another layer of Yomi, and it loops back into a circle where the fourth layer of Yomi is the first layer.
Remember that all levels of Yomi are progressive (or at least you should approach them progressively) – use Inductive Reasoning to read your enemy before continuing on to try and counter your enemy’s counter, lest you be countered by yourself. We’ll talk about this in the next article. Inductive Reasoning is a very basic skill that many people forget to use, but a very vital one since people have the tendency to repeat the same actions, so try it out next time you see that noob Bryan get the ball.
In conclusion, Yomi is simply the skill of knowing what your opponent will do next. To achieve this skill, you can use other technique such as Inductive Reasoning which is what I have just explained. The practice of reading your opponents is quite complicated so if you have any questions, ask them in the comments. PEACE, OUT!
For more information on Yomi, you can check out David Sirlin’s article here:
Today we are going to discuss Chinchillas which are a squirrel-like rodent that has been domesticated. Chinchillas originally lived in Chile and Peru but due to their domestication, if you found one of them in the wild you would be considered very lucky. Chinchillas can be obtained through a licensed breeder.
As you can see in the picture above, Chinchillas may have cute faces, but they are more than just that. Chinchillas are a lot of work to take care of due to their many needs that are normally fulfilled in the wild. For example, they require their teeth to be worn down as the teeth continuously grow. This can be solved by introducing them to wooden sticks and chew toys.
Chinchillas cannot be bathed in water. Instead the correct health solution would be to bathe them in a special dust made out of pumice. It can be found at your local pet store. Warning: Chinchillas cannot be bathed in water as the moisture cannot exit their fur causing fur rot and/or fungus. Furthermore, a special diet may be created for a specific chinchilla or you may purchase premade food from your local pet store.
A good pellet is usually hay based. It is recommended that you leave some timothy hay on the side as well as water for them to eat and drink over time between meals. Temperature is a very important aspect in taking care of most small animals. In order for a Chinchilla to not overheat, the room temperature must be under 25°C as they do not have the ability to sweat. A sign of heat stroke in chinchilla is red ears. This is done as a way to remove the heat from the body through their ears. Lastly if Chinchillas are well taken care of, they can live up to 20 or more years. If you considered all the responsibilities involved in taking care of a Chinchilla and you still want to get out, I challenge you to do a bit more research and possibly adopt one!
On Saturday, June 1st, the Alberta Cancer Foundation hosted the Underwear Affair, which was a walk/run for any cancer below the waist thus the term “under” wear affair. I personally thought this was extremely creative! Over 1000 people attended to “Uncover the Cure for Cancer” and all attended in some sort of undergarment. Their costumes were all very creative, crazy and inspirational.
I had the fabulous opportunity to volunteer with Youth Central, a volunteer organization for youth (and the organization Youth Are Awesome is a program of), and had the opportunity to witness many wonderful people walk for such an amazing cause.
What stood out to me the most? Probably the one family walking with their daughter who had cancer, they held her up on a float and walked the 5 km. It was truly inspirational, she seemed happy and content, and she truly seemed full of life. I guarantee you she will kick cancers butt! My prayers are with her.
Another walker, a female lady with a walker had a sign on her back saying “I’m walking for Katie.” This definitely brought tears to my eyes because all though she was struggling her way up and down the pathways she did it with happiness for her daughter.
My job as a Youth Central volunteer was to cheer on the walkers and motivate them, alike to a spirit squad. It was a beautiful day, people were in crazy costumes or just in their undergarments and were all happily walking for such an amazing cause. Without a doubt, The Under Wear Affair raised tons of money for cancer and was a great way to give back to the community.
“Cancer, I hope you get cancer and die.” ~Unknown
Let’s hope and pray one day we shall find the solution for cancer and live cancer free lives, because we deserve it.
Summer is so close, we are all excited for it! Any plan for the summer? I have some good ideas, READ and WIN. The Calgary Public Library 2013 Online Summer Reading Content is UP!
Youth Read is a online summer reading program for teens – ages 13-17
How it works?
Every beginning of a week, from June 12th there will be posts of series of challenges — Just complete it, then you will be eligible to win the Grand Price! One will always be a reading challenge; others will let you show off your creative side. Register HERE today or the link below and the Calgary Public Library will send you an email when the contest begins.
Prizes:
Grand prize: $250, $150, and $75 gift cards to Cadillac Fairview malls (Chinook Centre & Market Mall)
Weekly prizes: Free books and $25 gift cards – 12 winners every week!
Special prize: Tell a friend and you could each win a $50 gift card!
I joined this program last year and won 2 Free Books, it’s worth it to give it a try! So, have fun, learn and WIN:)
FASHION SHOW This first video is this really cool thing they did in Japan. If you can’t afford to buy new clothes, or if you just want to see what they would look like if you tried them on, without actually wearing them, well Google has the answer. With just a projector and Google Images, you too can have a fashion show right in your living room.
ROLLING IN THE DEEP The second video is something interesting, well, something I find interesting. For some reason Chinese instruments have a certain twang that gives it a ominous and somber feel. So here is a chilling rendition of Adele’s, Rolling in the Deep, played by a Guzheng.
FRENCH ROAST This is the last video and is one of my favourites. It’s about looks being deceiving and about judging without knowing. I really don’t want to ruin the ending of this one. It tugs the heart strings.
A Japanese study investigating the effect of age-related changes to the immune system discovered this could contribute to the gap in life expectancy between men and women. Researchers found that the immune systems of men age faster then that of women.
The blood from 356 healthy men and women from the ages 20-90 was studied. White blood cells which interact with cells of the immune system to regulate the body’s response to disease, cytokines, were measured. As expected, it was found these decline with age.
However, it was also found the T-cells, which protect the body from infection, and B-cells which secret antibodies, decrease more rapidly in men as they age. This increases susceptibility to disease, ultimately lowering lifespan. Unhealthy, unregulated immune systems can also cause additional problems and diseases of their own.
Luckily, immune system cells which attack invaders, such as CD4 T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells increase
Boosting your immune system can help you live a longer, healthier life
with age, especially in women. Professor Tom Kirkwood from the University of Newcastle argues women possess overall slower aging process then men, rather than simply having a slower immune aging process.
According to the Immunity and Aging Journal immune function can be used as an indication of biological age, making it an important indicator of overall health and well-being.
Through healthy living strategies a strong immune system, and overall better physical condition, can be
maintained throughout one’s life. Enjoying a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting enough sleep are just some of the ways personal well-being can be kept up. Little tasks, which the importance of is often ignored, such as getting enough exercise, preparing food safely, and washing one’s hands regularly, also protect the immune system when practiced regularly.
While such practicalities need to be addressed, keeping stress in check is also extremely important to one’s health (especially now, with final exams coming up!). Getting enough sleep, eating properly, and keeping a balance between school, work, volunteering, and relaxation can all help to keep stress at bay.
Eat St. of the Food Network fame has heard this trend’s reputation and came to Calgary to capture this sensation.
The range of options have expanded to this wonderful repository.
Accounting for my Twitter bias, it’s amazing to have @yycfoodtrucks (and also yycfoodtrucks.com) at our service to inform us the best spots to chase those eats down.
And so those are the reasons why this period between May 29th and June 14th is a crucial one for the cultural phenomenon that is the “full service food vehicles” initiative as City Hall calls it.
From my recent Otafest food truck adventures!
Fast forward to roughly a month after June 14th and the City’s Development and Building Approvals, Compliance Services will have shaped this bylaw that will serve to transition this initiative to a permanent fixture. A drafted report will be submitted to the Committee on Planning and Urban Development on July 17th, in which legislation will be further shaped. Oh July 29th, City Council will consider the bylaw.
It is with public input in mind that we Calgarians can chime in on our opinions and comments regarding this bylaw through this consultation period that is happening now.
Here’s just a selection of the rules that are to be written in the bylaw as this project transitions to a “Business License Framework”:
Restrictions on the locations these food trucks are able to operate in will continue to be imposed. They are not allowed to park and operate in certain areas in some of Calgary’s revitalization districts shown in this detailed map.
Food trucks are and will continue to be bestowed with the freedom to locate on other non-residential streets, festivals, and on private property with permission where needed.
You will see food trucks increasing their footprint and welcoming customers in these parks as the Parks department is offering new operating opportunities; Metro has laid out some of the details.
The Calgary Herald reports while the City is currently maintaining a license cap of 43 food trucks, the cap will be abolished if this bylaw is approved.
Only two food trucks may be parked in the same block at a time except when they are participating in local festivals.
In the feedback survey, there is a specific question about your opinion on whether more reserved parking should be implemented for food trucks similar to the one near City Hall.
Food trucks are proposed to continue to be only allowed to set up no less than 25 meters away from restaurants unless they give permission for exemptions. They are also only allowed to be at least 100 meters away from schools and other parks that are not a part of the list provided above. The survey also contains a question related to this restriction where you can send your comments in; these regulations are currently a part of the current pilot project’s guidelines.
The bylaw proposal can be read in its entirety on the consultation form (pdf) that has been provided to voice your opinions. In addition to that option, an online feedback form is also available on calgary.ca’s food truck update page. This feedback period will end at 4:30PM on June 14th.
I’m still learning the chops of reviewing food trucks; this new development, in my personal opinion, is of utmost significance to the future of these lovely options that spruces up the streets. To sustain the current food truck culture is pivotal, but to build on the success is the key focus as a result of engaging more of your voices.
If you enjoy any of the amazing contributions of our other bloggers on the delicious food, do me a favor in informing the City of your take, and feel free of course to shoot me a comment about it too (but only after you’ve told the important guys!).
Finally, if you still aren’t convinced to take a look at the survey, here’s an video that showcases the livelihood of this year’s Calgary Street Food Festival –
