CALGARY- Global Calgary’s reporters hit the streets year-round, braving blizzards, flood waters and summer storms—just to name a few. While they cover tragedies and stories of human hardship, there are also some fun and memorable moments that stick with them for years to come. It’s true that a day in the life of a reporter is never the same! Here is a roundup of their favourite stories of the year.
Gary Bobrovitz
Olympic Anniversary
“This is my favourite story of the year, because as a TV reporter I got to cover the opening ceremony of the Calgary Olympics back in February 1988. This year, again as a TV reporter, I was lucky enough to do the 25th anniversary of that event, and did a week long, special series looking back on it.”
David Boushy
Leafs Nation
“I went looking for Toronto Maple Leafs fans in Calgary, on the occasion of them finally making the playoffs. I found them—as well as a strange connection with mysterious bugs that only come out every 17 years.”
Jill Croteau
Fox Memories
“Looking back, my year has felt consumed with flood coverage. It seems like the obvious event to mark as the most memorable. It is. It likely always will be. But it’s the people behind this devastating disaster that will always linger in my mind. I have been emotionally impacted by so many people – mostly in High River – and together we shared many touching moments that I will never forget and will be grateful for.
This story about Jug McLeod still gives me goose bumps. We first met him in the weeks after the floods. His home in Hidden Valley was literally picked up by the raging flood waters and swept down the Bow River…nothing left but the foundation. When we met him he was choking back tears reminiscing over the lost treasures he collected over a lifetime. He cried about cherished mementoes he had while volunteering for the Terry Fox Foundation. After seeing that story the folks at the Foundation gathered everything they could to replace some of what this man lost…. including a rare T-shirt that one of Terry Fox’s own family members wanted him to have. Photographer Nate Luit and I were lucky enough to be there when they gave this special shirt to Jug. His gratitude and humility in accepting this gift has taught me so much. This time he shed tears of joy. To have had the privilege to witness this moment after seeing him in such sorrow just months before….was something I will never forget.”
Jayme Doll
Bow Valley Flooding
“We do a lot of stories in a year, and sometimes they are forgetten about just hours after they air. But then there are days on the job that will stay with you forever.
It was 7:30 in morning when I got a call from my frantic assignment editor: Canmore was in crisis. Still half asleep, I pulled on my rain gear and hit the road thinking I would be back in a few hours. I had no idea what I was driving into until I saw the water flowing over the Trans-Canada Highway and had to abandon my car on the side of the road.
The flood not only re-arranged the landscape, but transformed communities. In Canmore’s case it unveiled an incredible strength of spirit. While Mother Nature was ripping apart what families built their futures around, an incredible display of human nature at its best unfolded proving what really matters. As the raging creeks in Canmore, Exshaw and Lac Des Arc ate away at more and more of the earth and people’s homes, the crews just worked harder, risking their lives around the clock to tame what seemed like an uncontrollable force of nature. I witnessed complete strangers welcoming families whose homes were in ruins. Children selling lemonade on the side of the road for those hardest hit and when it was all over, neighbors rolling up their sleeves to help clean up what was left. For so many the journey is not over, but they have proven that resilience will prevail.”
Reid Fiest
Calgary flooding
“June 20th, 2013 was my day off, but it will be a day I will never forget. I had met friends in Mission for breakfast that morning thinking the rain that was falling would never be able to turn into a big story. Little did I know that part of 4 Street S.W. would be flooded hours later. I was reporting live at 11 p.m. that night when the city turned the power off, and stayed up all night with photographer Loren Andreae tracking the rising water levels. In the days that followed I was touched by the way our city responded to the crisis, showing the true spirit of Calgary.”
Nancy Hixt
Freeman-On-The-Land
“The “Freeman on the Land” stands out as a story that stirred up a lot of controversy with our viewers. Andreas Pirelli took over the duplex he was renting, and declared it an embassy, and for months he refused to leave. That’s when the landlady turned to the media for help.”
Sarah Offin
Mission flooding
“On June 24, a few days after the flood, some residents of Mission and Sunnyside finally returned to their communities. The opening standup with a dead fish, truck that was thrown three blocks, and a destroyed apartment – all at one scene – speaks to the disaster returning residents saw at every corner.
For many, this was a day that confirmed their worst fears: their homes were full of mud, debris, and polluted water. The task ahead was daunting, to say the least. Still, homeowners showed such a hopeful determination and we saw Calgary communities coming together like never before. It was likely the most inspiring day of my career.”
Amber Schinkel
High River flooding
“In the wake of the flood another story sticks out for me. Cleanup was going on everywhere and volunteers were coming out of the woodwork to do their part to help people in need; it was amazing. I had the opportunity to meet Edgar and Evelyn Craig in High River. The elderly couple has lived in that community since 1981 and Edgar, now retired, had served as a pastor for 33 years there.
When I arrived, they were waiting to hear whether or not their home would be condemned. Their basement had been flooded to the floor joists and their garage was also badly damaged. Volunteers were there removing what could be salvaged from their home and putting it in a sea-can. You could tell they were tired and stressed out, but they were so gracious and so positive. There were strangers going in and out of their home and Evelyn was thanking them for their time and giving them hugs. She said that every once and a while she would break down, not because of what they had lost, but because of the love of everyone who had come to help them.”
Mia Sosiak
Mistaken Identity
“This exclusive story came to me from someone I have interviewed before about living with FASD. Myles is an inspiring young man who has beaten so many odds. I was shocked to hear he was mistakenly identified as someone police wanted to question in connection with a sexual assault. He just happened to be caught on surveillance camera boarding the CTrain in the area of the attack, shortly after it happened. I was struck by how this could happen to any of us. Wrong place, wrong time. The impact on Myles was devastating, made even more so because his disability affects how he reacts under pressure. What’s amazing to me is how he has chosen to turn the difficult experience into a teaching opportunity, instead of holding onto bitterness and resentment. This story was one of those that make me feel lucky to be a journalist.”
Tony Tighe
Rent Fraud
“This was the most bizarre story of the year. Dozens of people all paid a phony landlord deposits for a rental house and they all showed up on the same day to move in. The house was locked and it turns out the phony landlord was renting the place and had been arrested by police earlier the same morning. One of the renters called us and we were first on the scene to capture all the chaos.”
Gil Tucker
Amazing View
“This is a great example of the best part of my job, day in, day out. It’s getting the chance to meet so many of the fantastic people in Calgary and the surrounding area. This story came about as we went by one of those places that gets you wondering “who’s lucky enough to live there?” When we knocked on the door to find out, we came upon a very interesting man and quite a surprise to go with his amazing view.”
Doug Vaessen
Developer scandal
“The ongoing saga of the Mayor’s battle against certain home builders has certainly gathered a lot of attention. The secretly recorded video showing Cal Wenzel railing against Mayor Nenshi and certain councillors was an eye opener. It shows how vital it is to vote in municipal elections no matter who you support. It also reveals what’s at stake as Calgary decides how it will grow and pay for the infrastructure we all say we need. It will be an interesting four years.”
Heather Yourex
MS Cure?
“This was a memorable story for me because I know multiple sclerosis impacts so many people in our province. People are diagnosed in the prime of their lives and although there are medications that can help slow the disease’s progression, the prognosis for many patients can seem pretty bleak and hopeless. I admit, I was a little skeptical at first, when a woman from the Crowsnest Pass are called to tell me she had been cured of MS. I was amazed to later realize it was true, made possible by a groundbreaking clinical trial out of Ottawa.
Although the research had not yet been published, patients were eager to share their experience and a couple of weeks after receiving that first phone call, I travelled to Sparwood, B.C. to speak with two of the trial’s participants. There were many tears shed during those interviews, it was incredibly moving to see how these woman had received a second chance at life after they had both nearly given up all hope.”
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