I'm sorry...I could've sworn it said FEEL GOOD story when I clicked on the link. Maybe it's just 'cause I'm a simple country boy, but I like the cowtown image, and I don't want Calgary to become anything remotely like Houston. I hate all cities, but Calgary's definitely the best of the lot IMO, precisely because of its comparatively rural feel. We don't NEED more people. The only benefits outlined in this article are money and recognition, compared to the problems they admit:
Calgary isn't without growing pains. Residents complain that, in warmer months especially, a walk through downtown means dodging aggressive panhandlers, young drug users and large numbers of homeless alcoholics, particularly from Canada's indigenous tribes. Housing prices have shot up, and housing starts — numbering more than 12,000 a year — have led to a shortage of construction crews.
The city's infrastructure, particularly its road network, hasn't kept up with population growth. Nor has availability of medical treatment and higher education, says Allan Markin, chairman and co-founder of Canadian Natural Resources, one of the country's biggest oil companies. Suddenly, engineers and other highly skilled workers are in short supply.
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