Calgary City News Blog: Good News Stories from the Calgary Flood

The 2013 flood that hit our great city will certainly be recounted as one of the most significant events of Calgary’s time. Although we’ll never forget the losses each of us may have experienced during this time, it’s important to remember how each of came together locally, provincially, nationally and even globally to support Calgary through its time of need. Below are a collection of good news stories that surfaced in the face of this tragic event.

The City of Calgary would like to thank the local media for their exemplary job informing Calgarians as well as sharing their tremendous personal stories.

Calgary Flood Flickr Group - Share your photos

Calgarians say thank you to City staff

Kids say thank you to City staff (photo slideshow)

Good news stories in the media

Calgary Mayor shares heartwarming stories of community support - GlobalCalgary
Mayor Naheed Nenshi tells an inspirational story of some of the residents in and around Calgary who have come to the aid of their fellow Albertans.
Recipes for disaster - FFWD MagazineHow Calgary’s big-hearted food community came together to help out with flood relief efforts.
Kensington bookstore offers help in recovering lost books - Calgary is AwesomePages
Bookstore in Kensington started a few wonderful initiatives to help those who lost their books to the flood.
Volunteer spirit shines in flood-ravaged Calgary - The Chronicle HeraldVolunteers come together to help out a local theatre company clean up after the flood.
Boy's cookies, card touch flood-weary Calgary cops - Calgary Sun
It was the "thank you" heard across the city and the plate of homemade cookies shared by hundreds of exhausted police officers, all standing guard over the largest evacuation in Calgary history.
Helping strangers in flood-ravaged Calgary: ‘Everyone’s in the mud together’ - Calgary Herald
With a shovel in hand, people go door-to-door, asking neighbours if there’s anything he can do to help.
Food Trucks Aid Those Displaced by Calgary Floods - Food NetworkRecord rainfall, combined with snowmelt from the Canadian Rockies, caused unprecedented flooding in Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s third largest city, and displaced nearly 200,000 people from their homes last Thursday.
Indie booksellers contribute to Calgary’s flood recovery - Quill & Quire
Calgary independent bookseller Pages on Kensington was left unscathed by last week’s floods, but store owner Simone Lee knows many others weren’t as lucky.
Six good things to come out of the Calgary floods - Mike's Bloggity Blog
Here are good things (so far) that have come out of the flood.
Reflections from the Calgary Flood Plain - The Cardus Daily
It was a reminder that whatever proximity technology and media may provide, it cannot provide the connectedness and sense of participation and identity that physical geography provides.
Red Cross to receive proceeds of Scuba Nenshi shirt sales - Bad Portrait Project
Local Businesses Step Up to help the Calgary Community - Calgary is Awesome
Sharing stories of local business contributing to flood relief efforts.
After the flood, Calgary’s spirit shines - The United Way Blog
My heart goes out to Calgarians coping with the devastation of the flood. For those whose homes have been damaged, the road ahead is a challenging one.
Thousands of volunteers descend on Calgary's Mission district to help with flood cleanup - Calgary Sun
Mission: possible. Thousands of Calgarians spent the first day of their Canada Day long weekend cleaning flood-ravaged communities around the city Saturday, in the biggest volunteer effort since the Bow and Elbow Rivers spilled their banks June 20.
Calgary's volunteer spirit shines on its flood-ravaged streets - CTV
Most of the puppets were able to make it out in time.
YYC Flood - Shaun Robinson
Some people lost everything in their homes, and it was for some it was very somber, but the silver lining in it all was the way Calgary pulled together for each other.
10 Things I learned from the YYCFlood 2013 - Arlee Barr
A list of things learned by a Calgarian affected by the flood.
#CalgaryStrong Song - 903 Amp Radio
After all the pictures and calls over the past 3 days we know that one thing is certain, Calgary sticks together in times of need.
Indomitable spirit of Albertans celebrated on Canada Day - CTV
As Canada Day celebrations kicked off on Parliament Hill on Monday, most thoughts were with those in southern Alberta, still cleaning up after last month’s floods.
Thank You - DRWOROBEC
We did it. We actually did it. This past week, we raised more than $5200 for my dear friends Ange and Ryan, whose home was devastated by the Calgary flood on Friday, June 21st.
Coming Together as Waters Rise - Huffington Post
As I lay here in my home in south Calgary I consider myself lucky and grateful.
Calgary Is Flooded With Love - Huffington Post
We've only lived here for a year and a half but Calgary has been home to me for much longer than that.
Tim Hortons offers up special Alberta flood doughnut - Metro
Tim Hortons announced Wednesday that starting this Friday, individuals across the province will be able to pick up the new ‘Alberta Rose’ doughnut, with all the proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund.
The story behind Bowness' "laundry fairy" - The United Way Blog After seeing her neighbours' appliances on the front lawn, an idea began to formulate. Thinking on her feet, Nadine grabbed three laundry baskets and started scribbling notes inside them with thick, black Sharpie marker.

Calgary Flood Stories - City YouTube Playlist

Our Spirit Runs Deep

Heart warming stories involving animals

Baby beavers rescued from Calgary flood waters - Canada.com
Fish returned to the river from a parking lot - The living breathing street
‘Your cat is here. Come now’: Pet evacuees and wild animals saved from Alberta floods fill shelters - National Post
Urban wildlife rescue on the Bow - Calgary Herald
Zoo animals return to island - CTV
Pet evacuees and wild animals saved from Alberta floods fill shelters - National Post
Momo the cat becomes a celebrity after Alberta floods - Canada.com
Animal rescuers wade through waist-deep waters to save flood victims of a different kind - Calgary Sun

Artists inspired by the flood

Which song written about the Calgary floods best captures the moment? - Calgary Herald
“Super-Moon Flood” by Jack Bride - Swerve

Artist, Jack Bride, gathered jars of murky river water and went home to paint “Super-Moon Flood,” a 22” x 30” watercolour and gouache painting—staying up all night with the June supermoon and using the river water to thin his paints. “I wanted to channel all of that energy into the art piece,” says the 31-year-old artist.