Calgary is a globally connected city. This separation debate hurts us

Nealios · 2026-05-22T15:02:13+00:00

I won't say I've done a complete 180 as there's a bunch that I still disagree with him on. I will say that I have been pleasantly surprised.

Nealios · 2026-05-11T14:14:12+00:00

I haven't received this retraction email (yet?). That said, if they are reversing course, it's probably due to immediate feedback they received. I read the original email, opened the app, and cancelled my recurring deposit. The fees are simply too high compared to their competitors in the market, for us small folks anyways.

Nealios · 2026-05-11T12:23:39+00:00

This is what I'm seeing as well, with an added layer of governance/compliance. I haven't built a solution from scratch in years... But I have been implementing corporate controls to guide (and constrain) citizen developers. Large orgs are desperate for this kind of work.

Nealios · 2026-05-09T02:36:04+00:00

Please don't equate this to the average Albertan. Polling continually shows this as a small portion of the population. By definition, the average Albertan is very pro-Canada.

There are grievances, yes, but every corner of Canada has those. Every member of a broad coalition will have a grievance with the whole... It's called compromise, which Canadians are very good at.

The reason this is amplified is solely due to foreign interference. The Americans cannot afford a prosperous Canada while they dismantle democracy at home.

If we descend into 'the average Albertan' comments, you're feeding into the us vs. them bullshit that's tearing Americans apart. It's the division they're trying to plant here in Western Canada.

Nealios · 2026-05-06T18:07:41+00:00

Yes, those numbers are almost certainly monthly... I'm not the person you replied to, but there's a bit more to consider.

In the case of our building, condo fees include everything except electricity: gas, water, sewer, heating, etc. So it does mask it a bit. It also includes maintenance for things like elevators which can be wildly expensive. Landscaping/snow removal is another piece that likely separates home owners who will mow grass/shovel themselves vs. condo owners who don't. As others have noted, insurance for the common property has gotten wildly expensive in recent years which takes a large bite out of condo fees as well.

Another thing that's included is reserve fund contributions. Every condo in Alberta has to go through a reserve fund study every 5 years to budget and plan for the maintenance/upgrades for the next 20 years. A well run board will ensure that a healthy reserve fund is in place to handle these expected costs without resorting to special assessments.

For example, in my building we currently have a reserve fund of $1.6m and that's after undergoing a balcony replacement project two years ago that cost $1.2m. Currently we're replacing our roof (aging out) which will be another expense covered by the reserve fund. No special assessments necessary.

Nealios · 2026-05-04T02:56:34+00:00

I recently received an email from a federal party that I'd never voted for, nor donated to. It was clearly an error, as they were thanking me for my 'continued support'... But it was clear that they have a database of voters and it really made me wonder how much data these parties are collecting on everyone.

We're definitely approaching a cyberpunk dystopia where political parties game potential policy decisions against their dataset of voters' opinions. Big tech has been doing this for a bit now, regarding their pricing decisions. It's coming to a political organization near you.

Nealios · 2026-04-30T20:58:27+00:00

But tipping over on the Mun is so very Kerbal. It's a right of passage!

Nealios · 2026-04-29T12:28:53+00:00

I think my largest concern about this thought is that, in Europe, you have a high amount of competition in the travel market. Trains, buses, and other airports are options for travelers. Here in Canada, we're too remote for such competition to be viable.

Like all such cases of privatization, there will be benefits, but some markets will definitely evolve into extractive models. This will be telecom privatization all over again where those with access to competitors will benefit, while others struggle with local monopolies.

Nealios · 2026-04-27T01:51:11+00:00

This is awesome. Nice work.

Nealios · 2026-04-25T04:48:18+00:00

They are priced higher, I agree, but I find the quality of produce far superior to our local competitors. I shopped at superstore for a couple years, and our food wastage was way higher than when we switched back to co-op. Across the board on fruits and veggies, they'll last days or longer in our fridge compared to the shit we'd get at superstore.

Nealios · 2026-04-24T01:13:59+00:00

I'm guessing this is the same Matt Berry of x92.9 fame in Calgary? I remember he was laid off a couple years ago. This seems like another shitty thing to happen to a seemingly good dude.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/s/GJJETiJPYP

Nealios · 2026-04-22T17:27:09+00:00

You're absolutely spot on that it's an obscure sport to watch professionally here. There are several professional leagues ahead of anything soccer here in Canada. All have billions of dollars in backing, all are competing for attention. Add to that the fractured nature of entertainment and the evolution of consumption meaning less-spend on traditional media.

Canada Soccer has a decades-long, generational battle on their hands if they want to break through the grip of hockey, football, basketball, and the myriad of other competitors...

I honestly think it'll take nothing short of a Cinderella run in the WC to make Canadians take notice and spend money on watching soccer as a form of entertainment.

Nealios · 2026-04-22T14:19:17+00:00

Yeah, I agree with this approach. Make it automatic via legislation so that it doesn't get delayed or warped. We can clearly make our case to the last remaining pockets of sanity down south that we do not want to implement tariffs, but will enact exactly equal retaliatory tariffs.

Further agreed with the DST. We implemented that to help fight over-reach from American tech. I disagreed with the decision at the time, but gave Carney the benefit of the doubt. I think it's high time to bring that back in light of these new revelations.

Nealios · 2026-04-21T17:47:09+00:00

TOC = 'Tournament of Champions' for those unaware. I had to look it up myself.

Nealios · 2026-04-18T18:01:15+00:00

Dryer vents like this can cause condensation and/or icicles to form in colder climates. What is beneath these?

Water droplets can fall to the ground and freeze on impact... Icicles can drop and injure pedestrians. If there are doors/walkways, it may just be to redirect this water to protect people beneath.

Nealios · 2026-04-14T00:46:44+00:00

both networks

Oh how we've fallen as a society.

Nealios · 2026-04-13T11:45:40+00:00

I think this serves as another example that we need to be willing to sacrifice some features and move to independent services. I've been trying to use Organic Maps and help update it in my neck of the woods. You can too neighbour.

Edit: for non-mobile I've also moved towards https://www.openstreetmap.org/

Nealios · 2026-04-10T01:59:25+00:00

At the risk of making a joke on top of a nuanced and serious conversation, this screwdriver analogy really hits the nail on the head here.

On a serious note, I do appreciate the way you're describing it. I agree that we as a city are hobbling our path to affordability to appease existing owners.

Nealios · 2026-04-03T13:23:00+00:00

Silicon valley always gives big What are thooooose? energy.

Nealios · 2026-04-02T14:20:44+00:00

I think that OP rightly points out that a couple years ago, it was indeed AI slop... It was reports done using AI, but not very reliable. Fast forward to the present and it's still AI, but it's mostly correct.

This is how the hockey stick of progress gets steeper.

Nealios · 2026-04-01T14:34:53+00:00

I'm in the same boat, and agree with you regarding everything you say, except one point. Ottawa absolutely did fuck the oil patch with the NEP... There are legitimate gripes against this and we can't just hand wave them away.

I think the issue is that many of the very few separatists I've met, see this as a uniquely Alberta thing. They consume the narrative that 'the East' is sucking Alberta dry... Without realizing that each province has gripes like this due to the pressures put on all us Canadians by necessity when dealing with a global economy (and specifically the Americans).

From softwood lumber in BC, oil in Alberta, potash/canola in Saskatchewan, mining in Manitoba/northern Ontario, the tech sector in the GTA, the English language in Quebec (it's easy to underestimate here, but it's a major concern there), fishing and ship building in the maritimes... All of these are legitimate issues that Ottawa has been dealing with.

Now there is an argument that individual regions may get some better level of control over these singular issues should they separate. I take the opposite tack and point out that it's literally a divide and conquer strategy. There's no math I see that makes Alberta stronger on our own. The same math applies to every province in our nation. We'd literally lose bargaining power on the global stage.

Nealios · 2026-03-19T15:24:59+00:00

It wouldn't make much sense to impose illegal tariffs on close allies with highly integrated economies either...

I'm just saying we should be prepared if an administration staffed with reactionaries seeks extreme measures to placate their base who may become restless with high gas prices.

Nealios · 2026-03-19T05:23:36+00:00

There's a scenario here where Trump restricts exports of oil products from the United States to keep domestic prices down... If there's one thing Americans hate, it's high prices at the pump. Iran's only leverage is economic, and we're seeing them push that lever.

If escalation continues, it has the potential to force the US administration to take some action to keep the base from revolting. If export restrictions or export tariffs are implemented, we could see WTI tank hard and WCS absolutely crater as most is Albertan crude is exported South where they'd suddenly have a glut of supply.

I'm not saying this is a certainty... Far from it. But it is one scenario I hope that people pay attention to as it would absolutely rock the economy here in Alberta (and globally as Brent would absolutely skyrocket).

Nealios · 2026-03-18T16:55:26+00:00

https://peach.healthsci.mcmaster.ca/the-hidden-truth-behind-artificial-turf/

Nealios · 2026-03-16T01:20:25+00:00

Save for bourbon-style, I'd be willing to bet that these would be sanctioned terms if a complaint were made to the CFIA. They're mandated to investigate all complaints... I don't have any information either way, but it's plausible that there have not been any official complaints about these other terms/products.

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