When traffic is company: Calgary photographer explores solitude in a family-focused world

Solitude, light and dark, the clouds outside her window — that's what Claudia Weis wanted to explore through photos as a single woman renting alone.

She goes for walks to feel connected to her community, appreciates the white noise of traffic outside her window and figures people living in small apartments tend to look out the windows a lot more. 

"I have a little more time than most people. I noticed that," she says, after handing in hundreds of creatively-shot photos.

Weis was one of 10 Calgarians who signed up to be community photographers for CBC Calgary. They explored their renting experiences from homes across the city. This week, their photo exhibit moves to the Genesis Centre.

Weis is 48. She says renting as a single person is expensive and makes her feel a bit like an outsider, especially in the school system where she works as a substitute teacher. 

"I really don't know that many people who rent in Calgary. I feel like I'm one of the select few. It seems everyone owns a house, most people have children, most people are married.… But again, I just — I am who I am. I made the choices I made."

Weis grew up in Calgary. But as soon as she graduated from high school, she took off, longing for adventure. She lived in Halifax, Kamloops, Vancouver. She travelled to Germany and Taiwan, lived out of a backpack for two years, and even within Calgary she's lived in more than 20 rentals.

Now she's living just north of downtown in an up-down duplex off busy 16th Avenue.

She's got about 525 square feet — one big room that functions as a kitchen, living room, office and sometimes as her gym. And then a small bedroom at the back, and a large balcony overlooking the sound barrier. 

That's worked out well.

"This year, I discovered that if you hang out low (sitting in a camp chair), you can kind of block the traffic noise and actually enjoy the balcony space. But I actually like it. I like looking out and seeing what's going on. The sound of traffic and the busyness. It keeps me company in a weird, bizarre way, but it seems to work."

Facilitated by CBC Calgary staff, the community photographers met every other week last spring to talk about their photos and share their renting stories.

 Weis says she learned a lot. 

"First of all, there were people from all different ages renting, which is surprising but I'm pretty sure that I'll be renting for the entirety of my life.

"I learned that some people prefer to rent, and I think generally I'm one of those people. I don't really like the responsibility of owning. I think it actually can be quite stressful, and I found that other people were saying the same thing.

"I learned that renting is still very volatile. There's some people who are renting and their houses are for sale, and they don't know where they're going."

"And there are things I would change. Like for instance, I'm not allowed to have a cat and like, I'm a single woman. I would love to have a cat and I'm not allowed. In fact, I'm not allowed any pet. In Ontario, you cannot get evicted for having a cat because it's for your social well-being. Like, I would love to have a little pet."

But she says she doesn't regret the life choices that led her here. And actually, she really likes moving around. 

"I love that I've gotten to travel and see the world. I love that I've actually gotten to live in different communities.… I've seen so much more than I would have if I had just been in one place for 30 years.

"And I do think that when you live in a place for a long time, you get kind of stagnant. When you move, it actually shakes things up. It's like putting things in a cocktail shaker … different things happen."

"I think I have a fear of being like stagnant and bored."

Turn the lens on renting

Check out the work of all 10 community photographers in the main lobby at the Genesis Centre. It opens this week and runs until Nov. 26, then moves to Westbrook Mall. And if you can make to the Genesis Centre Friday, chat with CBC Calgary in person about your housing situation.

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