How many of us are native Calgarians? - Page 3

Deepstar · #41 Posted **May 30, 2011, 6:33 PM**

I voted 'no' mainly because I wasn't born in Calgary although I have lived most of my life here.

Born in Hong Kong, and moved to Canada (Edm) when I was 6. Lived in Edmonton until I was 15, and then moved to Calgary. Went to school in Vancouver for two years, and have lived in Calgary since then.

93JC · #42 Posted **May 30, 2011, 7:08 PM**

Born at the General, lived here my whole life, probably going to move somewhere else in the next year or two.

Ferreth · #43 Posted **May 31, 2011, 2:08 AM**

31 native to 39 non as I type this - I'm surprised there are so many native Calgarians on this forum.

freeweed · #44 Posted **May 31, 2011, 3:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferreth

31 native to 39 non as I type this - I'm surprised there are so many native Calgarians on this forum.

A lot of people consider themselves "native" even if they weren't born here. I'll be honest, someone who moved here at 1 - yeah, I'd say you can call yourself native. But someone who moved here at 5 or 6 years old - sorry, you're an immigrant. And no, living in Lethbridge or Drumheller does not make a person native to Calgary either.

It's been interesting watching the opinions of various people here and trying to guess how they'd vote. Someone could have set up ground rules for what we use as criteria to determine "nativeness", but this has been more fun.

lubicon · #45 Posted **May 31, 2011, 6:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferreth

31 native to 39 non as I type this - I'm surprised there are so many native Calgarians on this forum.

Given the (I'm guessing) relatively young age group of people who may tend to visit this site perhaps it's not so surprising. Calgary is seeing a whole generation of young people who's parents may have moved here but the kids have grown up in Calgary.

freeweed · #46 Posted **May 31, 2011, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lubicon

Given the (I'm guessing) relatively young age group of people who may tend to visit this site perhaps it's not so surprising. Calgary is seeing a whole generation of young people who's parents may have moved here but the kids have grown up in Calgary.

Yeah, a lot of people moved here in the late 70s/early 80s and started families after that. It's the folks of my generation (mid-late 30s) or older that are almost always immigrants. Hardly anyone was born here before the early 1970s (Calgary was only 325,000 people the year I was born).

We're seeing another baby bubble right now - all these clearly new families settling in Airdrie and Okotoks and the far-flung city suburbs, and they've ALL been pregnant for the past 5 years or so. I swear there must be 100,000 preschool age kids by now.

Just Build It · #47 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 2:38 PM**

I'm not sure whether to call myself native or not. I grew up in southern Ontario, and after a three year stop in Winnipeg, moved to Calgary in 1994. I've now lived in Calgary slightly longer than I did in Chatham.

freeweed · #48 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 3:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Build It

I'm not sure whether to call myself native or not. I grew up in southern Ontario, and after a three year stop in Winnipeg, moved to Calgary in 1994. I've now lived in Calgary slightly longer than I did in Chatham.

I think the general definition would be "born and raised", or more generously "born and/or raised". Take for example someone who lives for 20 years in Ottawa and then 30 years in Calgary - I don't know of any definition of "native" that would mean they're a native Calgarian. Usually it refers to where you were born, period.

Then again, maybe the word is just nonsensical in this day and age. My family's been here for 350 years and yet I'm still not entitled to "native" status in this country.

fusili · #49 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 3:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

I think the general definition would be "born and raised", or more generously "born and/or raised". Take for example someone who lives for 20 years in Ottawa and then 30 years in Calgary - I don't know of any definition of "native" that would mean they're a native Calgarian. Usually it refers to where you were born, period.

Then again, maybe the word is just nonsensical in this day and age. My family's been here for 350 years and yet I'm still not entitled to "native" status in this country.

I would say I am native Calgarian (being born here), but my family (both parents) are very recent to Calgary, and to Canada in general. My family moved to Calgary 2 years before I was born, my mom moved here from Germany when she was 8, while my father moved here from Saskatoon (his family moved from the Netherlands/Indonesia about 4 years before he was born). So while I was born here, I still have an identity of being from a more recent European immigrant family. Most of my relatives are still in Europe, so I think of our family as recent Canadians. Those from a family with several generations in Canada, but were born elsewhere than Calgary, probably have a greater claim to being more "Calgarian" than I, because their history and culture is more Canadian than mine.

kw5150 · #50 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 3:50 PM**

The need to redefine Calgary "native". Anyone who has lived here for over 5 years is a native to me! Kidding. Definately a non-native here. I find that SO many people seem to move away around the 3 - 5 year mark. Oh well, their loss, I like the changes happening here and overall it is a great place especially if you are active.

Bigtime · #51 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 4:04 PM**

To me the "native" designation should be for us born and raised folks.

We're better than the rest of you...

Ramsayfarian · #52 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 4:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtime

To me the "native" designation should be for us born and raised folks.

We're better than the rest of you...

Not sure if you're better, but I would agree to special.

Western Spaghetti · #53 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 5:41 PM**

IMO native Calgarian should be someone who was born here. Just my two cents.

I was born and raised in Edmonton, but my family moved to Calgary when I was a teenager. I've been here longer than I had lived in Edmonton, but don't consider myself to be a 'native', maybe a 'local', but not a 'native' Local or not, I still cheer for the Edmonton sports teams

P.S., this thread should be renamed 'Calgarians who cheer for the Oilers'. It seems like there are more people are from Edmonton than actual native Calgarians

freeweed · #54 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 6:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Those from a family with several generations in Canada, but were born elsewhere than Calgary, probably have a greater claim to being more "Calgarian" than I, because their history and culture is more Canadian than mine.

More "Canadian", perhaps, but not more "Calgarian".

Riise · #55 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 6:24 PM**

I was born at Foothills and lived in the same Rundle house for 23 years. Spent the last couple of years shuttling between Calgary and London (Stockwell & Mitcham). It's a bit odd that I'm a born and bred native yet I'm actually here solely for work purposes. I guess I'm stealing my job, I am such a dirty emigrant!

freeweed · #56 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Western Spaghetti

It seems like there are more people are from Edmonton than actual native Calgarians

And from Winnipeg, and from Saskatchewan...

30 years ago it was "from Toronto", which would shock a lot of folks today. There's a huge Toronto ex-pat community all approaching retirement age, from when the head offices moved west.

I also find a shocking number of BC natives. Not from Vancouver itself so much, but everywhere else - it explains the Canucks jerseys in the Saddledome. I love to tease them specifically - you can't choose where you're born, so whether or not it's a good city is irrelevant. But you CAN choose where you live.

Still though, demographically speaking there should be a fair number of born and raised Calgarians. At least 50% of the city I'd think by now. Yet the joke continues, how it seems like no one is actually from here. Maybe native Calgarians move away as soon as they can, and the rest of us just fill in.

lubicon · #57 Posted **Jun 1, 2011, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

And from Winnipeg, and from Saskatchewan...

30 years ago it was "from Toronto", which would shock a lot of folks today. There's a huge Toronto ex-pat community all approaching retirement age, from when the head offices moved west.

I also find a shocking number of BC natives. Not from Vancouver itself so much, but everywhere else - it explains the Canucks jerseys in the Saddledome. I love to tease them specifically - you can't choose where you're born, so whether or not it's a good city is irrelevant. But you CAN choose where you live.

Still though, demographically speaking there should be a fair number of born and raised Calgarians. At least 50% of the city I'd think by now. Yet the joke continues, how it seems like no one is actually from here. Maybe native Calgarians move away as soon as they can, and the rest of us just fill in.

Agreed. My street is a good example of both sides of the equation. Maybe it's because I live in one of the newer suburbs, but when I look at all the houses in my immediate vicinity (let's say 5 houses up and down the street either side of me, including across the street) - EVERY SINGLE ONE is occupied by owners who have moved to Calgary from somewhere else, myself included. However the street is mature enough now that EVERY SINGLE KID under 18 who lives in these same houses was born in Calgary. Stretch that out to the entire block and things would not change much. As a matter of fact when I think about the many families I have known through my kid's minor hockey teams, pretty much the same holds true.

Freeweed nailed it - there has been a huge influx of people to Calgary in the past 20 years or so. Those people have now bought homes and started families. While they may not be from Calgary, their kids almost certainly are.

tsumetai · #58 Posted **Jun 2, 2011, 2:50 PM**

Was born and raised in Calgary. Went away for University and came back to work.

The city has changed so much since my childhood (there were still farmland/horses in Varsity for example; and Electric Avenue was "the ghetto").

Cowtown_Tim · #59 Posted **Jun 2, 2011, 2:55 PM**

Born and raised

Ferreth · #60 Posted **Jun 3, 2011, 2:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Western Spaghetti

IMO native Calgarian should be someone :

I'd consider anyone who spent their primary school years in Calgary a "native". Where you are brought up shapes a lot of your opinions, and the bulk of that is during your school years.

I have more difficulty with the splits eg. born in Edmonton, school K-6, then moved to Calgary, and been here ever since. Sometimes it's like looking at some weird hybrid, and yes, some of my best friends are hybrids!