Year in Review: 10 of the top moments in Calgary in 2017

By Joel Dryden

It’s hard to believe that 2017 will soon come to a close – the year seemed to fly by in Calgary thanks to a jam-packed calendar of memorable festivals and events. Before we turn the page to 2018, let’s take a look back at 10 moments that stood out in an exciting year for our city. [Photo courtesy of xiquinhosilva/Flickr]

After a particularly contentious election campaign, Naheed Nenshi was re-elected as Calgary’s mayor in a third term with 199,131 votes to rival Bill Smith’s 169,587. Long lines stretched down the block as voters came out in droves to make their voices heard, with Elections Calgary reporting a 58.1 per cent voter turnout rate. [Photo courtesy of Ted Buracas/Flickr]

There’s no getting around it – Calgary’s festival season calendar starts and ends with the big show itself, the festival colloquially known as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth: the Calgary Stampede. According to the Stampede, more than 1.2 million people attended the festival this year, up more than 10 per cent from the rainy festival in 2016.

And we came along for the ride with our festival guides, including how to do the Stampede on a budget, what to do if you weren’t into the rodeos and, of course, our “weird food” guide. We even found an attendee brave enough to try the chicken foot on a stick. [Photo courtesy of Calgary Stampede]

With the world-class, $28-million Calgary Film Centre now approaching two years in operation, Calgary has quickly become a first-rate destination to produce TV and film. Beautiful Alberta scenery has drawn high-profile productions like Fargo and Interstellar to the area, with plenty more (including season three of Amazon Prime series Tin Star) scheduled to get rolling in 2018. [Photo courtesy of Kudos/Sky Atlantic]

If you’re a lover of the arts, Calgary had you covered in 2017. City and Colour and Couer De Pirate hit Prince’s Island Park (along with more than 1,800 volunteers) for the annual Calgary Folk Music Festival, a four-day celebration in the sun with 40 to 50 thousand of your favourite friends. [Photo courtesy of Lynne Hawrelko/Calgary Folk Music Festival]

Whether drawn to festivals international or underground, movie buffs in Calgary had a full plate in 2017. The 14th annual Calgary Underground Film Festival opened with Sundance hit The Little Hours (star Aubrey Plaza was in attendance) and the 18th Calgary International Film Festival brought 200 films and documentaries from more than 40 countries to the city. [Photo courtesy of Calgary Underground Film Festival]

We’ve had the luxury of warm weather late into December in our city (knock on wood), but summers in the city are typically to be cherished thanks to the short window that constitutes a Calgary summer. So it was no surprise to see Calgarians flock to Sled Island, the Lilac Festival and the Calgary Fringe Festival. [Photo courtesy of the 4th Street Festival Society]

Yes, the Scotiabank Saddledome might pale in comparison to the bright lights and flashy interiors of the still-sparkling Rogers Place in Edmonton. But the home of the Flames still packs in the fans on a regular basis (Flames games ranked 10th in the league in attendance figures during the 2016-17 season, according to ESPN) thanks in large part to exciting young players like Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

So it was a surprise when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman weighed in on the state of the Flames, telling the Calgary Herald that without a new arena, “They’re not moving this season, but I don’t know how long they can hang on.” The public feuding between Bettman and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi continued long after the Calgary election, and promises to carry on long into 2018. [Photo courtesy of davidgsteadman/Flickr]

It was easy to feel pride for our country during the nationwide Canada 150 celebrations, which saw droves of Calgarians flock downtown to celebrate in style. The Canada Day celebrations included a performance from hometown Juno winners Tegan and Sara, a spectacular fireworks show and an Indigenous showcase. [Photo credit: istockphoto.com/SCoutts]

If you’re a Calgary Stampeders fan, it’s likely that the stinging feeling you felt after the Stamps lost a heartbreaker in the 2016 Grey Cup subsided right around kick-off Nov. 26. There’s no need for me to get into the details (that fumble, that 109-yard TD, the game-ending interception)… but perhaps it’s better for Stamps fans to focus on righting the ship in 2018. [Photo courtesy of IcE MaN]

Calgary’s dining scene continues to expand and impress, and 2017 brought with it some amazing new additions. We’ve been profiling many of these new restaurants throughout the year – let Sarah Sussman run down some of the best new spots in our summer and fall recaps. [Photo credit: Sarah Sussman]

No doubt about it, 2017 flew by in no time with exciting local news and memorable festivals. Rest assured, we’ll be here next year to be your guide to what’s coming up next in our great city.