The Alberta College of Art and Design has reinstated Gord Ferguson after firing him last week following a controversial performance in the school's cafeteria.

The college released a statement this afternoon that reads: "While the College’s decision to terminate Mr. Ferguson was never intended to be about academic or artistic freedom, the College acknowledges the perception this action may have created. Mr. Ferguson acknowledges that he wishes he could have had a greater opportunity to advise and support his student before he undertook his performance on April 18, 2013. Both Mr. Ferguson and the College regret that the incident happened." (Read the full statement below).

On April 18, an ACAD student slaughtered a chicken … Read More

I don't know if you know this, but we've got our Best of Calgary poll up and running. You can vote for everything from Best New Trend to Best Local Beer to Best Burger. Of course, you can also vote for Calgary's Sexiest Man. And who have you voted for two years in a row? Nenshi. Yeah, the mayor.

Have a look at this video, giving an inside tour of the mayor's office. At 2:19, he brags about his Fast Forward Weekly plaques prominently displayed on the wall just outside his office, highlighting his wins as sexiest man (last year he also won for Most Beloved Calgarian and Best Twitter Personality).

So, do you think the mayor is Calgary's sexiest man? Maybe it's Stephen Harper that makes you swoon? (C'mon, really?). Well, the only way to have your say is to vote. Results … Read More

Canadian journalist Linda McQuaig isn't the kind of person to pull punches. This is a woman whose work helped send Ontario lobbyist Patti Starr to jail. Conrad Black said she should be horsewhipped after McQuaig dug into his financial dealings in the U.S. Her regular columns for the Toronto Star are biting, witty and, thanks to the issues, infuriating.

McQuaig will be in Calgary tonight, speaking at the Parkdale United Church at 7 p.m. at the invite of Public Interest Alberta, speaking about inequality, both in terms of economics and influence.

Her latest book, The Trouble With Billionaires, looks at the rise of the ultra rich and what it means for society (spoiler alert: it's not good).

"The States are the most extreme," says McQuaig by … Read More

According to Bike Calgary, there's good news and there's bad news in the latest count of commuters entering the downtown core, at least in terms of cycling. The good news: the number of cyclists commuting into work is up 20 per cent from last year (1 in 17 vehicles). The bad news: there's not a single bike lane in the entire core.

Bike Calgary has a great blog post breaking down the numbers, complete with an infographic outlining how cyclists are accessing the downtown core. It points out that the numbe of cyclists is up 40 per cent since 2006, when the count began. The fact that the count is in February dispels notions that nobody rides their bike in the winter.

The Peace Bridge is now number two in terms of how many cyclists use to cross into … Read More

Terry Rock, the founding president and CEO of Calgary Arts Development is moving on. Yes, the man with the aweomse name (Dr. Rock!) is leaving, and the organization is planning for his replacement.

There's no juicy story here, the transition looks like it will be organized and drawn out, with Rock supporting the board throughout the transition. The organization is crafting a succession plan and beginning a hunt for a viable candidate with the intention to have a new president and CEO by the end of October.

Rock, who has helmed CADA since 2003, intends to present the new city arts plan to council in June.

"I look forward to the final act of an organization’s founder: handing it over, with momentum, to the next leader," Rock says in a CADA press … Read More

It probably has nothing to do with a recent poll by Forum Research showing her support plummeting, but Joan Crockatt, the Conservative contender in the Calgary Centre by-election, has finally agreed to make a debate appearance.

Hosted by the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Association, the debate scheduled for Thursday November 15 will be the first all-candidates debate to be just that. 

Crockatt confirmed her appearance this evening, one day after a poll pegged her support at 32 per cent compared to Liberal Harvey Locke's 30 per cent, Green Party candidate Chris Turner's 23 per cent and the NDPs Dan Meades at 12 per cent.

Although the recent provincial election, and the lead up to the most recent municipal election … Read More

The Art Gallery of Calgary holds its AGM today amidst futher allegations of mismanagement. This time the allegations aren’t directed at former president and CEO Valerie Cooper, who is alleged to have defrauded the gallery and facing both a civil suit and a criminal trial, but at the board of directors in relation to Art Divas Inc., an investment group tied to the AGC.

The Art Divas invested money to buy four test plates of Judy Chicago’s “Dinner Party Plates” and one “Toby Head” scultpure by the same artist. The investors were offered to buy shares in a plate or plates at various levels of investment, with some portion of the money going to the gallery as a donation. The gallery is responsible for maintenance, insurance and appraisal … Read More

It's a bloody shame.

The Sugar Cube Gallery, the smallest creative space in the city, is gone as of October. The gallery, located on 17th Avenue S.W., was informed that the space has already been leased.

Due to the size of the space (approximately 3 x 5 feet), there's a strong chance that it will be used for advertising. Just what the city needs, less unique creative expression and more advertising.

Sugarcube has been fighting for survival ever since a ridiculous complaint about Naked not Nude: The Slow Dissection of Sally Raab, which featured the artist standing behind anatomical drawings. 

The gallery was hoping that the owners of the property would come to their senses and allow the gallery to continue operating freely. The property … Read More

The Glenbow museum pulled its advertising from Fast Forward Weekly on Aug. 16. The decision came on the same day Fast Forward Weekly published a news article about layoffs at the museum. On July 19, Fast Forward Weekly also published a story, “The Struggles of the Glenbow,” about financial problems and allegations of mismanagement at the museum over the past three years. Both stories received an unusually high number of online comments.

An internal email sent to museum staff on July 23 by Glenbow Board of Governors chair Jack Thrasher and president and CEO Kirstin Evenden in regards to the original story implies their dissatisfaction with the story’s tone.

“As many of you are aware, an article came out in FFWD [sic] on Thursday … Read More

The Alberta Electric System Operator, which oversees Alberta's energy grid, has released an appeal to Albertans to reduce their energy use until 6 p.m. due to increased demand.

They didn't bother to send a press release before unleashing rolling blackouts across Alberta, leaving many in the dark (both literally and figuratively).

The AESO press release says people can reduce their energy consumption by turning off lights and electrical appliances (brilliant!), minimizing the use of AC by closing blinds, shades etc.. (revolutionary!) and avoiding the use of major power-consuming equipment such as dishwashers, roller coasters, fun houses and cotton candy stands.

Wait, what? Oh, apparently I made up those last three. For some reason … Read More