This is Calgary

Calgary Transit has had a Free Fare Zone along 7th Avenue for decades. It started as an experiment in the late 70s, before we even had an LRT, and has become part of the city's downtown identity. But - should we keep it? The FFZ is currently being reviewed. This week, host Jenny Howe speaks with Sprawl founder Jeremy Klaszus about the history, benefits, and prospects of the Free Fare Zone.

The Alberta government just tabled the 2026 budget, with an anticipated deficit of $9.4 billion dollars. This Is Calgary host Jenny Howe sits down with Darren Krause, founder and editor of LiveWire Calgary, to hear all about what is (and isn’t!) in the budget for our city, and what city council has to say about it so far.

Two Ukrainians who immigrated to Calgary after the 2022 Russian invasion talk about their lives in our city, what they think about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and what it's like to feel torn between two homes. Captain Mykhailo Lomov is the senior ship captain of the S.S. Moyie paddlewheel boat at Heritage Park, and Snizhana Bora is the co-founder and director of ARTis Theatre, a Ukrainian theatre group.

Plus, the struggles of the Northern Hills Community Association. In Calgary, some community associations are making a play to revive their numbers, after volunteers and memberships have dwindled.

Most Calgarians remember the 1988 Olympics as a success for the city — and for what they got built. Hello new CTrain line, Saddledome and Olympic Oval! But when the city had the chance to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Calgarians said no. In this episode, we explore why the No Calgary Olympics campaign prevailed and what it might take to become an Olympic city for a second time.