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Calgary, Mohkinstsis, is a place that resists simple summaries. It’s a young city in a constant cycle of renewal and reinvention, an ancient meeting place with history stretching back thousands of years, and a hive of creativity, entrepreneurial hustle, and experimentation that attracts new arrivals every day. Nowtown brings together voices and perspectives from across Calgary to explore the city’s restless spirit, unpack its contradictions, and celebrate its mavericks in an era when its urbanism is defined by much more than just oil.
Featuring essays from community leaders, journalists, historians, artists, and architects, Nowtown explores Calgary’s diverse communities and lesser-known spaces, interrogating its myths and challenging its stereotypes along the way. From artist-run centres and underground theatre to conservative political dominance and boom-bust economic cycles, these essays explore the varied architectural, cultural, political, and economic perspectives that make Calgary unique.
Andrew Wedderburn is a novelist and songwriter from Okotoks, Alberta, who has lived in and around Calgary his whole life. He is the author of The Crash Palace (2021) and The Milk Chicken Bomb (2007), both published by Coach House Books. The Milk Chicken Bomb was shortlisted for the Amazon / Books in Canada First Novel award and longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC. He has been deeply involved in the city’s independent music scene for three decades in his bands Night Committee and Hot Little Rocket, whose 2007 album How To Lose Everything was named one of the 25 most influential Calgary albums of the 21st century by The Scene magazine.
Katie Lee, OAA, is an architect, artist, and musician based in Toronto. Her work is profoundly shaped by her upbringing in Mohkinstsis, Calgary, as the daughter of Korean immigrants – a dual perspective that informs her music and specialization in cultural heritage at ERA Architects Inc. At ERA, she leads research-driven projects that explore the intersection of cultural heritage and the built environment. An acclaimed collaborator and recipient of multiple musical awards for her previous projects, Katie also records under her Korean name, Eejungmi. Her debut album, Water is a Shifting Mirror (2026), is a sonic exploration of identity and grief through the poetry of water.
Brendan McCabe is a heritage planner and writer from Calgary. Shaped by Calgary’s suburbs, and inspired by its concrete forms and DIY scenes, Brendan has dedicated his life to understanding and documenting how the built environment and cultural intersect. Through his work with ERA Architects Inc. and the City of Calgary, Brendan has spent a decade researching, analyzing, and conserving Canadian architecture and cultural heritage across the country. He has contributed to The Signs that Define Toronto (Spacing, 2022) and written for VICE.