Profiles
The Raging Grannies dispel stereotypes, build community and advocate for social causes
Written by KARRY TAYLOR
Calgary group members of international movement
They arrive at meetings, protests, and other events decked out in long, flamboyant skirts, canvas sneakers and old-fashioned aprons. Sometimes they are invited; sometimes they just show up. They re-write lyrics to familiar songs to impart their social concerns. They are witty, self-depreciating and concerned with social justice.
They are the Raging Grannies.
The Calgary Raging Grannies represent a social justice movement that began in Victoria, B.C. in 1987 when a group of older women joined together to protest the presence of United States Navy warships in Canadian waters. “The original Raging Grannies in Victoria were all ‘of a certain age’ as we say, and thought they might draw more attention by dressing up,” says Sandra Vida, a member of the Calgary Raging Grannies. “The stereotypical ‘granny’ was just a brainwave of that moment. They did get attention, and kept it up.”
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Poverty in the midst of plenty
Written by GEOFFREY PICKETTS
John Bodman's plight reveals complex nature of homelessness
John Bodman was 51-years-old when his life began to unravel. He had a welding ticket, owned a business and had a place to call home in Prince George, B.C. Having two friends over one night ultimately became the catalyst to a brutal chain-reaction that saw Bodman lose it all.
"They asked, 'Mind if we smoke?" Bodman said. "I said, 'Nahh, everybody smokes.'" He thought they meant cigarettes. Then they slapped a pipe and other crack-smoking paraphernalia on the table.
Bodman didn't want anything to do with crack-cocaine, but admitted "it looked like they were having fun." A few hours later he tried his first hit.
"It went downhill from there. I pawned everything, sold my business and started rooming in crack houses in Prince George," he said.
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Exotic cuisine on the fly
Written by SHARDAY L. ISAAC
Three SAIT grads turn backpacking trip into a reality show
At Burt and Lucy's canteen, the walls are tarps and in place of a floor, uneven sand. There is no electricity, no working lights or refrigeration either. The kitchen prep area is littered with sugar canisters and jugs of vinegars — while white candlesticks stand freely for light.
It's 6 a.m. and Burt wakes from the top of the restaurant's dining table. He reaches for his Marlboros and tosses a ragged, white tea towel over his shoulder, grunting the entire time. The rising sun only means one thing — time to prepare for the day's rations.
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Forest Lawn‘s bad reputation: Fact or fiction?
Written by LISA HALLET
A shift with a Calgary police officer reveals community concerns about crime and drugs
What's in a name?
Take Forest Lawn, for example.
Crime? Drugs? Prostitution? These seem to often be the words associated with this community in Calgary.
I recently got the chance to get a first-hand look from the inside of a police car to see what exactly happens in this neighbourhood.
I entered the District 4 Franklin Calgary Police Service Station at 5 p.m. sharp — you don't want to be late for the law.
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Popular children’s entertainer uses music to reach across generations
Written by KARRY TAYLOR
Fred Penner continues to engage and energize his long-time fans
For countless Canadians who grew up between 1985 and 1997, Fred Penner was a childhood mainstay. Across 12 years and nearly 1,000 television episodes, he crawled through a magical hollow log on CBC's Fred Penner Place to sing songs and connect with his young audience.
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