Aryn Toombs

The long-running Calgary Zoo ZooLights is almost three decades old, and with that annual display of animal-themed holiday lights and sounds is bigger and bolder for the occasion. Which, considering that the zoo is itself undergoing a major renovation of its Asia habitats, was no easy task. But tens of thousands of hours, along with […]

For the past five decades, the Calgary Renaissance Singers and Players have invited audiences into the world of the post-medieval era through song and history. This holiday season, the singers and players are embarking on their most ambitious performance in those 50-some years, with a concept performance that takes audiences back to 17th-century Germany. “It […]

There’s no doubt that for many people the holiday season can be a lonely one, especially as people age and the busyness of work lives and family obligations makes friendships wane and disappear. But not all stories end up so bleakly. Lunchbox Theatre’s How Patty and Joanne Won High Gold at the Grand Christmas Cup […]

In the past three years, the living wage in Calgary has risen dramatically from $18.60 an hour in 2022 to $26.50 in 2025. That increase of $7.90 per hour represents the hourly wage that the average worker needs to earn in order to cover the necessities of life, as well as be an active participant […]

Last year, when The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) ran a Registered Education Savings Program (RESP) event at its Westwinds campus, it was a certified hit. More than 250 families registered for the event, which in turn packed the TIES offices and made it at times difficult for people to get information on how to save […]

The City of Calgary unveiled the next round of projects under the office conversion program, with nine new conversion projects that will add nearly a thousand new homes to the Downtown Core, West End, and Beltline in the coming years. The nine conversions are being led by seven different developers, some with familiar names from […]

In 2024, Transgender Day of Remembrance was a sombre affair attracting around 40 people, but with recent political decisions by the Alberta government, that sombreness turned to extreme anger from far more in 2025. On Nov. 20, transgender Calgarians were joined by allies from many different Calgary communities to rally and to protest at the […]

For the past 33 years, Calgarians have stepped up and helped the Calgary Food Bank solve the food security needs of their fellow citizens through the annual Stuff-a-bus campaign. Calgary Transit operators and staff, along with their partners at the Calgary Food Bank and Calgary Co-op accepted donations at all 22 co-op locations across the […]

The world’s best speed skating athletes gathered in Calgary over the weekend to compete in the second ISU Speed Skating World Cup, heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics being held in Italy. The competition couldn’t be more fierce, or important. While the Canadian Nations held at the end of October at the Olympic Oval helped […]

For a second year in a row, Coca-Cola Canada is seeking to give the kindest community in the nation $100,000 for one of their local charities, kicking off that search at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan, which began from a single driver lighting up his delivery truck during the pandemic, made a […]