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On Tuesday, we asked whether Parks Canada should try to collar The Boss again — and most of you said he's earned the right to roam free. Plenty of others were happy to leave the decision to the experts. One reader made a fair point: his collar could serve as an alibi if he's ever near a bear attack. Another kept it simple: "He's smarter than the average bear."
👀 In today's edition:
Calgary is rethinking the Green Line's downtown route
A 74-year-old completes her degree after 51 years
Alberta bars can now serve alcohol starting at 6 a.m.
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WORTH KNOWING
🌦️ Today: High 18C, Low 9C. See the 7-day forecast.
🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.
⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.
QUICK POLL
Should Alberta ban the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 16?
Women founders are getting $30 million from this Calgary venture firm
Shelley Kuipers and Lauren Robinson, The51’s general partners. Photo: The51
A Calgary-based venture firm is putting serious money behind women entrepreneurs. The51, which invests in women-led companies across Canada, has reached the first close of its $30 million Fund III, with BMO signing on as the lead anchor investor alongside 17 women co-investors.
The fund focuses on three sectors — health, wealth, and work — where women are both the primary consumers and, historically, among the most underfunded founders. Women-led companies currently receive just two to four per cent of venture capital in Canada, despite consistently outperforming their peers, according to The51.
The co-anchor model itself is part of the point. By bringing together a group of women investors at the anchor level, The51 is deliberately shifting who holds decision-making power over where capital flows.
"The question is never whether that capital will move — it is where it will go," said Shelley Kuipers, co-founder and CEO of The51. "The51 exists to make sure it flows toward the women building what's next."
By 2028, Canadian women are projected to control nearly $4 trillion in financial assets. The51, which has already backed women founders through two previous funds, sees that as both an opportunity and a responsibility.
Need to know
🚇 Calgary city council has directed administration to explore alternative downtown alignments for the Green Line LRT, after public feedback showed most nearby residents oppose the current elevated track plan. Options are due in September.
🎓 A 74-year-old Calgary woman crossed the stage at the University of Calgary on Monday, completing a degree she first started pursuing 51 years ago. Joyce Arnold returned at 65 through UCalgary's tuition-free program for seniors.
🍺 Alberta bars and restaurants can now serve alcohol starting at 6 a.m. without special approval, a regulatory change introduced by the AGLC ahead of FIFA World Cup matches and other major events.
💔 A 47-year-old Airdrie woman died on Saturday after falling while descending Mount Bryant in Kananaskis Country.
☕ A Calgary mother is pushing for a provincial ban on energy drink sales to anyone under 16, citing the lack of age restrictions in Alberta and a Quebec teen's death linked to caffeine interaction with ADHD medication.
🥫 After 42 years of volunteering at the Calgary Food Bank, Terry Deets has retired. A fundraising campaign in his honour aims to raise $15,000 for Calgarians facing food insecurity.
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The National Music Centre is honouring five new Indigenous artists this June
The Stoney Park Singers. Photo: Studio Bell
The National Music Centre is adding five new honourees to its Speak Up! exhibition, which celebrates Indigenous artists who have used music to preserve culture and inspire future generations. The updated exhibition opens June 17 at Studio Bell.
This year's additions include Tudjaat, a Nunavut vocal duo who helped reintroduce Inuit throat singing to the world in the 1990s; country, blues, and soul vocalist Crystal Shawanda from Wiikwemkoong First Nation; Métis singer-songwriter and actor Andrea Menard; Jerry Alfred, a Northern Tutchone musician and hereditary keeper of ceremonial songs for the Selkirk First Nation's Crow Clan; and the Stoney Park Singers, a family drum group from Mînî Thnî, Alberta, considered one of the most respected drum groups on the powwow trail.
The exhibition features personal artifacts, immersive audio, and storytelling, including a dress worn by Andrea Menard during her one-woman musical The Velvet Devil and Tudjaat's 1997 American Indian Film Institute Award for Best Song. An interactive kiosk lets visitors explore stories from all 36 Indigenous artists honoured since the exhibit launched in 2019.
On June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, Studio Bell will offer free admission and host a live event featuring a performance by Tudjaat, alongside Black Crow Funk and electronic artist sean beaver, plus a vendor market featuring Indigenous artists.
Where to eat and drink
🍴 Ramen Ichinen: A no-frills Japanese noodle spot tucked into a strip mall, Ramen Ichinen makes its ramen from scratch with MSG-free broth and fresh noodles made in partnership with a local noodle maker. First come, first served — and closed Sundays.
🍴 Banana Leaf: A long-running Malaysian restaurant with a loyal following, Banana Leaf is known for generous portions and dishes like roti canai, satay chicken, nasi lemak, and seafood curry laksa.
Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!
Things to do
🎟️ Easy Days Pop-Up Market in East Village: A free outdoor market at RiverWalk Plaza on Saturday, June 13, featuring local designers, artists, clothing curators, live music, and food trucks. Part of a series running through September.
🎟️ Circular City Alley Party at Velet Bike & Ski Cafe: A free Sunday evening block party in the alley behind Velet Bike & Ski Cafe on June 14, with live DJ, a Calgary Dollars vendor market, free drop-in bike repairs, and activities around circular economics and active transportation. Family friendly, no tickets needed.
Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!
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