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Every city has its quirks. But if you’ve lived in Calgary long enough, there are a few things that just make sense here, even if they seem strange to everyone else.

The list below isn’t exactly a strange one for those who’ve been here a while. And if you’ve just arrived or you’re a newcomer looking to get in on the fun, we’ve got tips for you so you can stop watching from the sidewalk.

In most cities, an hour of driving means you're still stuck behind someone signaling left and turning right. In Calgary, one hour west and you're standing at the base of the Rockies wondering why you don't do this every weekend. Like a loving arm wrapped around your shoulder, the majestic Rockies serve as a soothing medication to all that ails you.

If you're new here, start with Grassi Lakes near Canmore or Johnston Canyon in Banff. Neither requires special gear. Just a car and the willingness to pull over when the views hit. Kananaskis is quieter than Banff and closer to the city. You'll need a conservation pass ($15 for a day, around $90 for the year), but the lack of crowds is worth the fee.

There's the light winter jacket, the real winter jacket, and the “it’s -35°C but life has to go on” jacket. Winter gear doesn't need to be expensive. Costco, Value Village, and Calgary's Facebook Marketplace groups are full of barely-worn parkas. The real lesson is in the layering. A good base layer underneath a decent shell will outperform a $400 coat with nothing beneath it.

When the temperature jumps 20 degrees overnight and the snow disappears, Calgarians don’t question it. We just smile and go for a walk.

The word “Chinook” comes from the Blackfoot word for warm wind. It's one of the first pieces of Calgary vocabulary worth learning, because everyone here talks about them. I should add, Chinooks can trigger headaches and migraines. Mention it to any local and you'll get a knowing nod, probably followed by their personal remedy.

Whether you’re volunteering at the grounds, flipping pancakes at sunrise, or accidentally staying out far later than planned, Stampede creates stories that somehow get better every year.

The Calgary Stampede runs a massive volunteer program with thousands of spots every July. It's one of the fastest ways to meet people and feel like part of the city. You don't need to love rodeo or cowboy boots. You just need to show up. I do think you need a hat. Even better if you can get a locally designed and manufactured Smithbilt hat, the official hat of the Calgary Stampede, and recognized by its felt, cattleman crease, and red maple leaf band.

In July, it can seem like every parking lot, community centre, and office building suddenly becomes a pancake distribution hub. And somehow, nobody complains.

If you're new, check the Calgary Stampede website or your local community association's calendar in late June. And then plan to show up, eat, and chat with the person next to you. That’s the spirit of the Calgary Stampede season

You walk into a coffee shop and see your dentist. You go to a Flames game and sit two rows behind your kid's teacher. You're at Costco on a Saturday and somehow bump into three people from work. Calgary may be a big city but it still feels like a community.

This starts happening faster than you'd expect if you pick a couple of regular spots. A gym, a coffee shop, a community program. Show up to the same places consistently and the familiar faces will accumulate.

Snowstorm today, Chinook tomorrow, plus 10 degrees by the weekend. Calgarians don’t just check the weather. We analyze it. We debate it. We send screenshots of it to group chats.

Weather is genuine social currency here. Learn the difference between a cold snap and a polar vortex. Know what a Chinook arch looks like on the horizon. You'll have a conversation starter in any room in the city.

It doesn't matter what the speed limit says. Everyone in the left lane on Deerfoot Trail has somewhere important to be, and they needed to be there five minutes ago.

If you're new to driving in Calgary, Deerfoot during rush hour is its own education. Give yourself extra time, stay in the right lane until you find your rhythm, and know that the lane aggression has nothing to do with you.

Around 3 p.m. on a summer Friday, half the city suddenly remembers they need to be in Canmore, Kananaskis, or anywhere that isn't their desk. The westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada become a slow crawl of roof racks and coolers.

If you want to join the Friday exodus without sitting in traffic for two hours, leave before 2 p.m. or after 6 p.m. The difference between 2:30 and 3:30 can be an extra 45 minutes of staring at fellow drivers on the highway.

Whether it’s minor hockey, a community association, the Calgary Stampede, or a local charity, volunteering isn’t unusual here. It’s part of being a Calgarian. People here build things together.

Plus it can be an effective way to  build a network as a newcomer. The Calgary Stampede, the Calgary Food Bank, your local community association, immigrant-serving organizations like CCIS or CIWA are examples of the many places you can apply to volunteer. Nobody asks where you're from. They just hand you a task and somewhere between stacking chairs and sorting donations, you become a local.

Win or lose (and there has been a lot of lose), the Calgary Flames are part of the rhythm of the city. When playoff energy arrives, you feel it in the bars, the offices, the grocery store lineups. 

You don't need to understand every rule. Go to a bar during a Flames playoff game and the energy will teach you what you need to know. If you want to play, Calgary has adult recreational leagues at every skill level. Shinny hockey at your local rink is another option, and the barrier to entry is owning skates and being willing to fall.

In many places, networking can feel transactional.Someone hands you a business card and you never hear from them again. In Calgary, someone will grab coffee with you, introduce you to someone else, and genuinely try to help you move forward. It’s one of the quiet reasons this city continues to grow.

You however have to participate to be in on the magic. Attend a Calgary Economic Development event. Go to a meetup hosted by an immigrant-serving organization. Show up at an industry lunch. The warm handoff culture here is unusual for a city this size, and the people who thrive in Calgary are the ones who lean into it early.

Every city has its personality. Calgary's is a strange and heady mix of mountain proximity, volunteer spirit, weather chaos, and a stubborn belief that the person standing next to you at a pancake breakfast might just become a friend.

If you've been here for years, you already knew all of this. If you just got here, now you know where to start.

P.S. Read the original article here.