Calgary has a long history of being run by men.
I’m guessing that noise you just heard is the sound of feminists from McKenzie Towne to Sunnyside cracking their knuckles in anticipation of what they think is next. But it’s true!
From the male-dominated Calgary Stampede to city hall and the oil and gas industry, Calgary is like a Greek fraternity, but with expensive parking tickets … and more beer.
Heck, even city council only recently voted to get rid of the dated title of alderman.
If Canada were a real-life version of Girl Talk, Calgary would be the guy that always gets called on Friday nights and has to listen to a gaggle of giggling girls.
But in my opinion, the testosterone-filled tides of the Bow River are quickly changing, thanks to a pair of Calgary women who have all of this city’s cowboys shaking in their boots.
Connie DeSousa is one of the masterminds behind this city’s buzziest restaurants, CHARCUT, and she’s also sweeping the kitchen floor with the competition on Top Chef Canada. If you haven’t seen the show yet, I’m glued to Connie’s patience, poise and her ability to win challenge after challenge.
As one of only two females left on the show, Connie is the one to beat. Similarly, I still check the directions on how to make Kraft Dinner properly.
But being successful on reality TV doesn’t a star make, right, Melissa O’Neil?
True power is being able to open a restaurant in downtown Calgary, which is often mistaken for a ghost town, during an economic downturn. Now that takes a certain amount of … cojones. On the mean and male-dominated street of Stephen Avenue, Connie is queen.
Have you heard of Kelly Oxford? If not, you’re missing out on perhaps the coolest Calgarian Hollywood has ever seen. The mother of three has been tweeting and blogging for years and has slowly, but surely, amassed a huge following of fans who hang on her every word.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s sometimes passive-aggressive tweets are like sugarcoated lollipops compared to Oxford’s acid-laced fingers. In truth, she terrifies me. Her tweets and blog are ruthless, but her observations about life in Calgary are bone-crushingly hilarious.
And I’m not the only one to take notice. Kelly’s life will soon be turned into a CBS sitcom and she’ll be releasing a book by year’s end.
Meanwhile, MP Jason Kenney still struggles to complete a sentence without sounding ridiculous. Baby steps.
It’s refreshing to see two women defying this city’s reputation of male dominance. Hey, guess who just came up with an idea to help out the Calgary Flames?
