Calgary population exceeds 1.2 million

[4X4]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Doubt it from a mathematical stand point. Great Vancouver Area population is around 2.4M now. So unless something really dramatic happens in either Calgary and Vancouver, it'll be hard for us to catch up. I think in general port cities will often have higher population than land locked cities.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=148182

[Swift]

Far too many people now. I much preferred it when there were only 1.1 million people. Ah, those were the days!

[troutman]

This wll change when all the people that promised to leave Alberta if the NDP ever got elected, honor their pledge.

[Table 5]

Things I miss about Calgary at 700k? How it used to be really affordable, and customer service was still decent.

Everything else though? Today's Calgary blows it out of the water.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by troutman

This wll change when all the people that promised to leave Alberta if the NDP ever got elected, honor their pledge.

I was one of those people. Now I've decided to stay and fight for "change".

But if Muclair wins, I'm moving to Zimbabwe.

[Magnum PEI]

I sort of miss the old Calgary. I was in an LA-style traffic jam last week on Glenmore. Without any exaggeration it took me 45 minutes to get from deerfoot to Elbow, a distance of two miles. This was at 6:30pm on a Tuesday. I turned off at Elbow, but Glenmore was literally a parking lot as far as the eye could see.

[heep223]

Accidents will bog down traffic no matter if a city's pop is 700k or 2M. Would you expect any different? I remember some horrible traffic jams back in the day.

[Magnum PEI]

I cant remember anything like that in Calgary, lived here almost my whole life.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Originally Posted by 4X4

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=148182

Didn't want to go there, but yea.. Exactly tbis

[Acey]

Originally Posted by heep223

Accidents will bog down traffic no matter if a city's pop is 700k or 2M. Would you expect any different?

Yes, because in general road infrastructure does not scale up proportionately to population. In general, metros with 700k have far less traffic problems than metros with 2M.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yes, because in general road infrastructure does not scale up proportionately to population. In general, metros with 700k have far less traffic problems than metros with 2M.

My first time in Toronto, I selected a compact(or damn close to it, I forget exactly which model) based 100% on wanting more maneuverability and room for decision making.. Get there, "sorry this vehicle isn't ready...", take the free upgrade to a full sized fully loaded SUV, fail.

I'll definitely agree that a lifetime of bad traffic in Edmonton or Calgary were nothing to two weeks being a tourist in the GTA.

Also funny that IMO, traffic has always appeared far more congested to me in edmonton than Calgary, even though Calgary has a substantially larger population.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I'd guess you're closer to 45 or 50 then 20.

I wouldn't take it as a given that 20 year olds prefer a city of over 1 million to one closer to half a million. Some things that were nice about being a young adult in a smaller city:

• Cheaper to go out. Way, way cheaper. The economy played a part, part in the late 80s and early 90s there were 3 for 1 or half-price drink deals at popular bars every night of the week.
  
• Smaller populations at U of C and MRC meant it was easier to make friends and feel like more than just a number.
  
• Music and alternative scenes were small enough that you could know most of the people in them and feel like a bit of a player.
  
• Cheap rent and accommodation, and landlords had no problem renting to a bunch of 20-year-olds (which I understand isn't the case today). I lived dirt cheap in the beltline in the early 90s.
  
• People in general were friendlier and most trusting. That isn't something only old people care about.
  
• The city was big enough to get major music acts, but they didn't sell out in 10 minutes.
  

[Bigtime]

Born and raised Calgarian and love it getting bigger.

My community went up by four people!
I do expect that next census we'll see a larger bump in population as a mid-rise condo started taking possession.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I was one of those people. Now I've decided to stay and fight for "change".

But if Muclair wins, I'm moving to Zimbabwe.

Oh boy... You'd think you'd learn.

Anyway, just to help you out a little.

http://www.internations.org/zimbabwe-expats/guide

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I wouldn't take it as a given that 20 year olds prefer a city of over 1 million to one closer to half a million. Some things that were nice about being a young adult in a smaller city:

I don't, I didn't. My point was that anyone saying something was more fun twenty years ago was probably because they were 20 years younger then they are now.

Some of your points are dubious though. Easier to make friends? Based on what? A bunch of people in Res will make friends with each other no matter the population.

Feel like a player in the local music scene? Well you got me there.

[HOWITZER]

Originally Posted by The Familia

There are too many people now. I liked the city best at around 900,000. Big enough to attract world class events and venues, but small enough to feel like a small town community. Way to many transient people here now who don't give a #### about the city. They want to make their money then leave without investing in the city. Also, a lot more selfish people than ever (saddle-ridge owners who pave their front yards I'm looking at you).

How is this any different than someone living in Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, etc. and driving in and out of the city every day? You could also make an argument that people who live in Seton are transient to downtown! Damn those people for going downtown, making their money, and then going home without spending it downtown!

If this is a passionate issue for you, then I'd advise you to get on board with "walkable neighbourhoods" and promote living where you work for all Calgarians. Doing so would go way further in promoting a healthy lifestyle, reducing traffic, pollution, and inner-city development while balancing an increase in population.

It's an exciting time right now to be living in Calgary and I am happy that the city continues to grow. Now if it'd just stop growing as quickly around the edges and focus on re-zoning inner-city land I would be just giddy.

/latte-sipper rant

[_Q_]

We came to Calgary in '89 when the population was around 700k. It was a dump back then. I can't believe anyone would prefer that version of the city to what we have now.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

I wonder if Calgary will ever catch Vancouver (CMA), in population. At least in my lifetime.

While we may not catch up to the Lower Mainland any time soon, I can see Calgary eventually surpassing Montreal as the second largest municipality in Canada.

[octothorp]

It totally perplexes me that some people don't like the change in Calgary. Sometimes I find myself marvelling at just how awesome it is, and how it gets more awesome every year. I love it. I guess specifically I love the part of Calgary that I live in, but even as a whole city it's fantastic. While I've lived near or in Calgary my whole life, a lot of the great, passionate Calgarians I know are people who have moved here in the last decade. So I can't get behind the idea that Calgary is somehow now filled with transient people who are just here to make money and don't care about the city.

[Fuzz]

The only part I don't like about the growth is the number of people! I remember you used to be able to head out on Crowchild at 5:30 and the evening rush was done. Also going out to the mountains on weekends, specifically long weekends is getting to be pretty horrible. The rest of the changes with growth have been great though.