CelticCowpokes

A mountain of irresponsibility

Yesterday, I came across a recent article in the Calgary Herald about a reporter and his mis-adventure while scrambling Mount Temple, one of the higher mountains in the southern Rockies.  This article frustrates me, as you immediately learn and realize how foolish some people can be, especially when taking on an outdoor adventure.  What the article also does is portrays scramblers as risk takers and irresponsible fools to the unknowing general readership.   The truth is that these individuals exist in the scrambling sport, but thankfully are a minority, even though it seems that there are more and more stories of them.

Due to the worldwide prominence of the Rockies , "the mountains" attract all kinds of visitors.  There are general tourists who visit, take photos, eat at restaurants, shop and generally enjoy what the area has to offer.  Perhaps they may go on the occasional 'hike', which usually consists of interpretive signs, walkways and benches along the way, requiring very little preparedness beforehand.

However, there are many more activities in Banff National Park, ranging from kayaking to hiking, scrambling and technical climbing.  To do these activities requires: researching and planning ahead, knowing your  limitations, being prepared, taking adequate gear, carrying a map, making sound common-sense decisions, bringing food and water, the list could go on and on.

Getting back to the article, the reporter seems half-serious,  comparing the gravity of his follies with another irresponsible group.  Both groups are attempting a serious and challenging undertaking, by scrambling Mt. Temple.   Due to the many deaths over past few years, climbing Mt. Temple should not be taken lightly (you'll have to scroll down to the Mt. Temple section).  However, some adventurers just don't seem to get the drift.

Unfortunately, many people take outdoor mountain adventuring lightly due to the close proximity to highways  and roads (and Calgary), easy approach trails, relative popularity, etc.  In a growing number of cases,  what you find are people from the 'tourist' group, attempting serious activities with a lack of everything mentioned above.   

Sadly, it seems to be not only a trend in the Rockies, but in many other places, including in more extreme cases on the world's largest mountain.  With Everest, the topic is frequently debated among those in the climbing field.  Furthermore, others have analysed some of the less prominent accidents in the outdoors -- and offer some good insight into why they happen. 

In the end, what people have to realize is that when they adventure irresponsibly, they put not only themselves and members of their own party at risk -- but also other scramblers on the mountain who must now help them, including the would-be professional rescuers should an accident happen. Even though it sounds cliche, I feel it's important to say: please adventure responsibly!

East vs West: A hidden truth?

Newspapers and politicians around Calgary have been commenting over the past week about a recent website by the Nova Scotia government, "Delusional Calgaria".  The website uses a humorous approach to gain attention to a common occurrence: Nova Scotians leaving home for work elsewhere -- and the need to get them back.  The website also features a mock-intervention -- but touches on subjects that are quite true, such as: the cost of living, the long commute, the dense population, the high cost of housing, the length of work day, the  competitive waiting lists to buy property or build homes, the rising division between elite upper class and those struggling to catch up, or simply "the rat race" -- I could go on. Those of us who have moved from the east know these issues all too well. 

The response from long-time Calgarians? The mayor of Calgary was quoted on CBC saying ""I look at these ads and say: 'You know, this is the government of Nova Scotia's attempt to say that there's something happening in Nova Scotia, too.' I'm just not sure what."  Another provincial politician talks about being unapologetic for luring people to higher salaries.  However, to an outsider, it's hard not to notice that the so-called 'advantages' that bring people to an area are all materialistic.  Are higher salaries the be-all-end-all? I think not.  Comments voiced recently by Albertan politicians are indicative of an attitude that is all-too-common around Alberta -- that the eastern lifestyle is somehow a lower class than what is lived by Albertans.  I find these comments to be a similar harkback to the 'culture of defeatism' comment by a now-prominent federal politician.  I was glad to see that the Nova Scotia ad, although humorous in its intent, still focused on a non-material consideration for the east lifestyle, namely: family.   Perhaps the newspapers and politicians are simply confirming what we already think of Alberta.

The perceptions of the East Coast are also somewhat based upon the negative news stories that historically have focused on the loss of jobs (i.e., mining, fishery) and recently, those who leave their family and home for work.  Yes, there are many stories about people who leave for work -- particularly in Newfoundland.  But where are the stories of those maritimers who are successful where they're living?   What about the stories from "expats" who return for a better life? What about the news stories on 'Albertans' who are moving to the East for a change?  These certainly wouldn't make the news in Calgary.  There are more examples than you'd think.

Anyway, I thought the ad was great.  It certainly pokes fun at the lifestyle that is promoted by all the recruiting campaigns for jobs in Alberta.  The ad also serves hopefully to warn others that things are not exactly what they seem when you're making the decision to move.  There are always positive and negatives, but its up to each person to decide whether they outweigh each other when choosing a life away from home.

More bike paths, less car culture

Whoa.  We're having a big soapbox time at CC.    As some of you may have noticed, I've posted a bit on biking in Calgary in the winter and on its bike paths.  Starting back in October, for a variety of reasons, I started using a bike as my main commuting option for going to work.  I love biking in any weather.  Biking also keeps you feeling healthy, its a great stress reliever and it's good cardio.  Also, when biking to work, it's convenient exercise.  The time I'd spend sitting in a car going to work, I'm exercising and leaving more time in the day for other things.

However, lately, I've noticed how much biking on Calgary roadways is often less-desirable.  Currently, I bike on some fairly busy roads, including Nosehill Drive and the length of Country Hills Boulevard.  These roads are generally 60 km/h speed limits, but are four lane roadways.  In some sections of Country Hills Blvd, the speed limit increases to 80 km/h.  (Whether people actually do the speed limits is another issue.) Construction usually slows these areas down, but adds its own danger for cyclists.   Sadly, there are no bike paths near these roads and none that follow a west to east (or vice versa) commute along the North of the city.  Right now, most bike paths in Calgary focus on the downtown commute and if heading downtown, you can usually hook up with a dedicated bike path after a few minutes of road biking. 

I don't mind biking on the road, but I get tired of the 'car culture' and drivers who don't respect cyclists.  Daily, I experience people passing me at high rates of speed, revving their engines while going past, seemingly pissed off that I'm on the road.   Or there are those that speed up and pass near an off-ramp just to cut me off.  There are those that pass exceptionally close to you in huge pickup trucks or SUVs, almost hitting your handle bars.  And of course, there are a few idiots who pull up close to you and honk and or jeer out their window.  (This isn't even late at night!) Yesterday, a guy even said, "Get a car ,you loser!"  To be honest, I was surprised and not surprised at these attitudes. 

Because Calgary is a spread out city and the typification of urban sprawl, cars are a necessity for most.  The distances between one area and the other are surprising and its often that it'll be a 20-25 km drive to the downtown area from the outskirts.  Nevertheless, Calgary is known to be a fitness oriented city.  It's close to the mountains, there are many parks and its not unusual to see many runners out on the lunch hour and after work in certain areas of the city.  That is what surprises me in the attitudes I experience I guess. 

Because I bike through three city 'wards', governed by three different aldermen, I can't see many changes being instituted.  But maybe, the three: Dale Hodges, Gord Lowe and Helene Larocque will recognize the need for more bike paths in the north of Calgary and put a plan into place for an east west bike corridor.  Here's to hoping anyway.

 

Lack of choices

I'm not sure if others are feeling the same frustration with the current political climate in Canada as I am but, really, I feel there's a lack of good choices this time around.  Why do I say that?  Perhaps I'm being a bit overly cynical, but just look at what the newest Canadian election has to offer. 

Number one? Well, we've got the Liberal party.  Mired in scandal and questionable dealings between ministers, government corporations and the like, we've all see it on TV for the past year.  All of these problems have generated a lack of trust in how the government is handling things behind closed doors.  Is this just the surface of a larger problem? We don't know.  Liberal platforms are promising, and usually socially oriented.  I often approve of their positions on law and foreign affairs.  But should we punish them for their scandals?

Number two?  We've got the Conservatives.  I'll agree with a few people and say that the Conservatives are largely a watered-down reflection of the christian-right US republicans and their policies.  I've heard more than a few times that they want to overturn legislation already passed by the Liberal government, such as same sex marriage and Kyoto.   Having a huge defence focus, I just can't help but draw the lines between the US government and the Tories.  I like that we stand up to the US and having a new government that is more similar to them scares me a bit.

Number Three?  The NDP.  Historically clad in last place, the NDP often appears like the guy jumping up and down in the back of a room trying to get their word in.  Their social policies are centered toward the lower wage earners and children, which is great.  But at least in Alberta, I really feel that voting NDP is like throwing your vote away. 

Number four? The Green party.  Who knows what this party is about, I've heard them say a bunch of different things about everything -- we know they focus on the environment, I think.

As a matter of fact, perhaps I'm frustrated at the Alberta political climate.  I'm wishing it was a tighter race throughout the province so that a vote wasn't going towards a one-sided battle.  I always felt that in Nova Scotia, the races could go three ways....and that your vote actually mattered.  Here, well, it's hard to say.  Sadly, I don't know what I'm going to vote...and for the first time ever, I've considered not voting at all.   Its awesome to express your democratic right to choose a government, but its hard not to feel apathy about the whole situation.

With the Election only a week or so away, I'd be interested to hear what others have to say on the topic...

Jetsno: Jetsgo crookery

Well, Sheena and I don't normally post on issues other than our activities out west as such, but this time...we felt it was somewhat applicable.  Having flown Jetsgo a few times to travel to and from home to Calgary and elsewhere and to know people that are 'outta luck' with tickets currently, we felt we had some stake in the matter to make a comment.

Primarily, I think the dramatic shutdown of Jetsgo's operations was deplorable.  How the company left its customers high and dry with travel arrangements, canceling the existing tickets was unacceptable.  It was also however, in essence, criminal activity.  I heard rumors that Jetsgo was still accepting payments up until 11pm the night before the shutdown -- obviously knowing full-well that they would be closing shop the next day.  How can anyone or any business accept monies for services that they know they will not complete? I would say that is certainly fraudulent practices -- and another sad example of corporate criminality.  It is obvious that the Jetsgo executives have pulled a fast one on Canadians --- in a last ditch attempt to reduce their payments to creditors upon declaration of bankruptcy. Just observing this situation from an outsider's perspective, one tends to compare this with other infamous corporate 'calculations of worth' where the consumers and citizens end up short (such as with the Ford Pinto case, the Bhopal Disaster or more recently, the Firestone Bridgestone tire calculation.) I hope Canadian authorities investigate this matter -- currently masked as an abrupt shutdown of a company -- and reveal what shady enterprises lie within the planning and execution of Jetsgo's collapse.

Overall, it's important that we look beyond what has happened on the surface of this shutdown...revealing that it wasn't a typical closure of operations.

For news articles click here.

Further comment:

It was also revealed that Jetsgo had at least 60 safety violations that Transport Canada was investigating.  Considering that Jetsgo has only been operating since 2002 -- and has only 30 some planes -- it is clear that there were shortcuts being taken with equipment and safety.  From news sources, these were also a reason for Jetsgo's grounding.  It was only a matter of time before we had another tragedy that brought all this to light.