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Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Three 'prairie flamenco dance fighters' to present new show at DJD Dance Centre
Article content Quiet, introverted and vulnerable are not the first words that spring to mind when describing the fiery world of flamenco dance. Article content Article content But Calgary dancer, choreographer, filmmaker and general flamenco-booster Rosanna Terracciano has established a body of work that emphasizes these attributes, dubbing it 'quiet flamenco.' Article content 'For me, quiet flamenco is always going to be in everything that I do,' she says. 'Because it's really a whole approach in how I see flamenco. It's really important to be able to give voice to the quieter side of the art form. I'm going to be on the stage, stomping feet and making noise like everyone else. But it's a very different way of approaching it.' Article content Article content So, while working on her solo piece that will become part of Flamenco at the DJD Dance Centre, Terracciano has incorporated her take on a quieter, more feminine side of the dance. Article content Article content 'It does exist, it is in the flamenco world, but it's not what we typically associate with it,' she says. 'It's in the nuances and the silences. If you start to look for it, you can find it.' Article content The dancer has always been interested in challenging the spicy, macho stereotypes of flamenco and presenting it as more multi-layered than many assume. On Friday, she will be joined at the DJD Dance Centre by Winnipeg's Claire Marchand and Edmonton-based Jane Ogilvie, whom Terracciano calls her 'fellow flamenco dance fighters' from the prairies. They have known each other for years, ever since they were emerging dancers. But they had never worked together until 2024, when they collaborated on Flamenco at the Yardbird in Edmonton to a sold-out audience. Article content Article content For this version of the show, the group will be performing in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. It will also feature Spanish flamenco singer and percussionist Francisco Orozco and guitarist Peter Mole. Article content 'It was kind of an experiment to see how we would work together,' Terracciano says. 'It turned out really well. It was a great experience, so we decided, 'Let's bring it back and bring it to more cities.' ' Article content The three dancers take different approaches to flamenco. Terracciano is more experimental. Ogilvie is also a pianist and music teacher, so she brings more rhythmic moves and incorporates more complicated footwork. Marchand is more old-school, bringing back a style 'you don't really see anymore.' Article content Terracciano had a relatively late start in dance, as a late teen when she was already in university. She was studying engineering at the University of Calgary, but began taking contemporary dance. Her parents came from the Naples region of southern Italy. There are a lot of cultural similarities between the Neapolitan culture and the area of southern Spain where flamenco comes from. Terracciano's mother was a dressmaker who was fascinated by the flamenco costumes.
Calgary Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Former Calgary councillor Joe Magliocca apologizes for filing false expense claims
Disgraced former Calgary city councillor Joe Magliocca apologized Thursday for filing false expense claims that led to his fraud conviction. Article content Article content 'I'm very sorry that these were submitted,' he told Justice Gord Wong. Article content 'I apologize to the citizens of Calgary, who I was honoured to serve for eight years. I am sorry if I have caused them to lose trust in public service,' Magliocca said. Article content Article content 'I did not set out to mislead or hurt anyone.' Article content Article content Rankin suggested a longer conditional term and told Wong that Magliocca's conduct could have justified a three- to six-month period of incarceration. Article content Sankoff had sought a six-month conditional sentence. Article content 'I'm not asking for a ridiculous sentence,' Sankoff said. Article content The lawyer took issue with Rankin's submission that there was a significant level of premeditation in Magliocca's crime. Article content Rankin noted Magliocca sought out individuals at trade fairs he attended in his role as a council member so he could get business cards and include them in expenses he later claimed. Article content 'I'm not denying there was a fraud,' Sankoff responded. Article content Article content 'But there are different types of frauds,' said the Edmonton-based lawyer, who did not act for Magliocca at trial. Article content In January, Wong convicted Magliocca of fraud over his false expense claims, but acquitted him on a charge of breach of trust. Article content Magliocca filed 19 separate expense claims in which he included the names of other politicians who attended conferences. Those individuals later denied attending meals or other functions in which the former Ward 2 council member claimed he bought food or drinks.
Global News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
Some businesses are already ditching Canada Post as strike looms
Small business owners across the country are watching to see whether Canada Post and the union representing its workers can avoid a strike before midnight on Friday. But some aren't holding their breaths and have already started to make other plans. On Tuesday, a day after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) gave a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post, Calgary-based bookstore Slow Burn Books announced that it was going to stop using the national postal carrier. 'During the Canada Post uncertainty, we will be moving to using only ChitChats for the time being,' the store said in a post on its Instagram account. 'We understand how important timely deliveries are and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this situation. We're working hard to minimize the impact and will keep you updated every step of the way,' the post said. Story continues below advertisement If the union and the Crown corporation do not find a middle ground by midnight on Friday, tens of thousands of postal workers will walk off the job, bringing postal service to a grinding halt for the second time in six months. In an email to Global News, Slow Burn Books said it was not an easy decision to move away from Canada Post. 'We didn't want to make this decision, however, Canada Post workers are set to strike, so we are trying to adapt proactively, just as we did six months ago when they issued the first strike notice.' They are not alone, either. Edmonton-based Swish Vintage is switching to Purolator and UPS, the store's manager Natasha Dawson said. 'We're already shifting to using different couriers. I'm feeling very confident that they (Canada Post workers) will go on strike. We don't want to have any of our packages caught in limbo, which is very frustrating for our clients,' she said. Morgan Kunitz, co-owner of Edmonton-based Kunitz Shoes, said her business got hit during the last strike, prompting them to have a contingency plan in place. 'As soon as we heard that they weren't moving forward with talks, and they were talking of a strike again, we made sure that we switched to other carriers. Last time, we had quite a few packages that were stuck for a really long period of time right after Christmas,' she said. Story continues below advertisement For local deliveries, Kunitz is switching to Edmonton-based courier service Deeleeo and is using a combination of other services for deliveries outside the city. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy While the shipping costs have gone up by 25 per cent, Kunitz says it is worth it to keep her loyal customers with the business. U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war has already shaken consumer confidence in Canada and a postal strike could hurt it further, she said. 'In this climate of tariffs, the only constant is that nothing is stable right now. The consumer really is looking for a reason not to buy something because of what's happening and this (strike) is another reason.' 5:45 Tariffs set to push grocery prices higher Chetan Dave, an economist at the University of Alberta, said while businesses could see their costs rising, some might prioritize stability over costs. Story continues below advertisement And the question will likely be — even when any looming potential strike ends — are those customers gone for good? 'Once they've done the switch, I don't see any sort of reason why a small business would switch back to Canada Post, aside from if Canada Post is offering the same service at much lower cost,' he said. 'Only affordable option' The Retail Council of Canada has warned that for some small businesses, there is no alternative to Canada Post. 'For small and independent retailers, particularly those in the e-commerce space, Canada Post is often the only affordable and reliable delivery option to reach customers across the country,' the council said in a statement Tuesday. 'Alternative delivery providers are often not economical, and as the last disruption showed, they quickly reach capacity and cannot absorb the overflow,' the statement added. Story continues below advertisement Some businesses are stopping all deliveries rather than making a switch. 'We've been using Canada Post exclusively since we began the business 10 years ago,' said Mike Loftus, president of Ottawa-based Pinball Medics. The company is a supplier of pinball machines and parts. When Canada Post had a work stoppage last year, Loftus realized just how much his business depended on Canada Post. 'We tried using a couple of alternate carriers, and let's just say it did not go well. I lost money in the busiest month of the year, lost packages, stuff disappearing forever,' he said. The level of service and coverage provided at the price offered by Canada Post cannot be replicated, Loftus said. 'Instead of using another carrier, I've decided to put the online store on hold until such time that the matter is resolved and we can resume shipping through Canada Post,' he said. As of May 16, Pinball Medics stopped taking orders for delivery. 1:44 Edmonton small businesses prepare for Canada Post strike Kunitz said roughly a quarter of her sales come from online sales. Story continues below advertisement While she says she has no option but to transition, her business would take a hit in the long term if there is a prolonged strike. She could even lose customers. 'They are our single most important partner in our e-commerce store. Without Canada Post, the cost of shipping is prohibitive for the long term. They can reach communities that you can't necessarily with your UPS or Canpar,' she said. –With files from Global's Sarah Komadina
Calgary Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Alberta opportunity for AI adoption takes the stage at Upper Bound
Article content Edmonton may be the best-positioned city in the country to seize on the growth of AI's applications in construction. Article content Article content 'If you're a business person or a technologist or someone in between, you really want to focus on an area that's got growth and opportunity. This is it,' said RoBIM Technologies Inc. CEO and co-founder Bruce Alton. Article content 'Edmonton and Alberta is a place to do it. We have the opportunity here to be global leaders in construction, AI and robotics.' Article content Article content Presenting to a crowd of headphone-clad listeners at the Upper Bound AI convention on Wednesday afternoon, Alton made the case that Alberta, and specifically Edmonton, is primed to capitalize on the growing demand for AI and robotics in construction. Pointing to lagging productivity in the industry, he argued that the marriage of the oldest and largest industry in the world (construction) with the newest and biggest growing industry (AI) was paramount to the future — especially as the country tries to make up ground in a housing shortage crisis. Article content Article content 'As it turns out, we're at an inflection point. There are a number of things that we're seeing in (RoBIM's) area, but also related to a number of other construction companies,' Alton said. Article content RoBIM is an Edmonton-based technology company that offers 'end-to-end robotic fabrication solutions for the residential and commercial construction industries,' giving Alton a practical perspective on the needs and opportunities in the industry. He said the industry's productivity, by comparison to other industries like agriculture, has been stagnant over the past several decades, according to data from McKinsey & Company. Article content 'Zero productivity growth over the last 75 years. It's crazy. And if you kind of look back for the last 40 years, maybe since 1980, it's actually been negative. So we're actually getting worse at construction over the last many, many years,' said Alton. Article content Article content Alton argued that a lack of automation and robotics played a key role in the lagging productivity in the industry, saying there are six different areas where AI could improve the industry — design and planning; project costing and scheduling; operating efficiency; monitoring and inspection; training and safety; and robotics and automation. Article content The latter is what RoBIM focuses on, creating robots that can assist with pre-fabricated construction, which is set to have a full commercial launch next year. Article content He said that part of the company's success, which is also what he recommended to prospective entrepreneurs in the room, is that it bears in mind three important elements of business and innovation. According to Alton, you need a big market with a big problem to solve, disruptive technology, and domain and subject matter expertise, all of which lead to startups, investment, and research money.
Global News
16-05-2025
- General
- Global News
Edmonton cat born with 6 legs recovering after surgery
Bitsy the cat was born with nine lives, six legs and one loving heart. Christine Koltun says the one-year-old cat is well on her way to having a new lease on life after a recent surgery to remove three of the legs. 'I'm just so happy for her,' said Koltun, the founder and executive director of the Edmonton-based cat rescue Furget Me Not. 'Very grateful that we could help her.' Koltun said her organization met Bitsy, named after the 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' nursery rhyme, after staff got an email last month about a stray cat with extra legs growing out of her side. Koltun was baffled. She had seen cats with paws like lobster claws and 'vampire kitties' breaking out in sores in the sun, she said, but never a feline with extra limbs. Story continues below advertisement 'There's no way that there's a cat with extra legs. Cats only have four legs,' she said. 'Then I got the pictures and went, 'Oh, my God! This cat has extra legs.'' Koltun sprang into action. She brought the cat home and almost immediately realized that Bitsy was an affectionate, extremely loving and people-oriented kitty. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy As it turned out, Bitsy absorbed a littermate while she was in the womb, gaining two extra legs and a second pelvis that grew as she did. One of the main four legs didn't work and also needed to be removed. At first, Koltun said, she wasn't sure if Bitsy could be helped. 'I had a little bit of a cry when I first brought her in. Because it was just so overwhelming thinking, 'Where is this going to take us? Will we be able to help her? Will we be able to fix this?'' Story continues below advertisement Veterinarians at Windermere Veterinary Hospital took X-rays and determined surgery would significantly improve the cat's quality of life. After a procedure that took a little more than two hours, Koltun said Bitsy is recovering well. 'Within less than a day, Betsy was up using the litterbox, drinking the water all by herself. So we really couldn't have asked for a better outcome,' she said. Bitsy still has stitches and is taking some pain medicine but is slowly being weaned off, Koltun added. She said a staff member at the vet clinic has been fostering the feline and may keep her. 'We're really happy for both of them that they've formed this amazing bond, and we're hoping that Bitsy's story ends up with getting to stay with her foster mom.'
