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Calgary·Opinion

Here is the word on the street in Calgary during the downturn

We've been hoofing it through the downtown core recently, asking folks how things are going in the downturn. And while there might be fewer people out and about, there's still a lot of optimism around.

'People think twice about every dollar that they spend'

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Downtown Calgary is smack in the middle of Maggie Schofield's wheelhouse as the executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association. (Dave Gilson/CBC)
Design says Calgary at a crossroads.

You know when you're at a bus stop or the grocery store checkout line, and you end up chatting with the person standing next to you — and you get a different perspective on things?

Well, we strolled through downtown the other day, and asked a bunch of people how things were going in the downturn.  The changes they had noticed in the core. How they felt.

While some people said things were noticeably quieter on the streets, in the shops, and the plus 15s, some say there's also a determination that things will work themselves out.

Rental signs popping up through downtown signal a lack of exuberance in the city that Jessie Quaiattini calls home. (Dave Gilson/CBC)
The theatre is a gathering place, especially during times like this according to Marke Lawes founder of Calgary's Theatre Junction. (Dave Gilson/CBC)
Alex Cormier has just entered the oil and gas industry but he's focused on the sense of camaraderie during the tough times. (Dave Gilson/CBC)
In her 12 years as the general manager of Garage Sports Bar, last spring was when Nadia Bull noticed the mood changed in the city. (Dave Gilson/CBC)

CBC Calgary's special focus on life in our city during the downturn. A look at Calgary's culture, identity and what it means to be Calgarian. Read more stories from the series at Calgary at a Crossroads.

With files from Dave Gilson

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