January always starts out with the planning of what GayCalgary needs to sponsor for events, and what each edition will be covering. Other mainstream publications don’t really need to plan their editions based on what the community around them is doing, but for GayCalgary, it’s a must. Most major LGBT events occurring in Alberta actually happen on long weekends that usually start at the end of one month and go into the start of the next. So, when I plan when editions come out, I have to adjust our publication schedule accordingly. For example, Edmonton Pride starts pretty much at the start of June, which means that to get best exposure for the event, everything needs to be in the May edition. So it might look strange that May becomes the Edmonton Pride edition, but it does not help getting people out with only a couple days’ worth of exposure if we waited until June. Likewise, the August edition is the Pride edition for Calgary.

While the main events pretty much land on those long weekends, smaller events sometimes change their dates, making it more challenging to schedule issues when waiting for date confirmations. But already I can say this is going to be one busy year for Alberta’s LGBT community. Anyone who complains that nothing happens, or that things are boring this upcoming year, are either too picky or just not looking hard enough. From what I have scheduled already in my calendar  – including Jasper Pride, Apollo Western Cup, Calgary Expo, Fairytales Film Festival, Edmonton Pride, Lethbridge Pride, Canadian International Rodeo and Music Festival, Red Deer Pride, ISCWR Coronation, Calgary Pride, Medicine Hat Pride, Edmonton Expo, Banff Pride – then adding to that great events from Evolution, Pure Pride, Cowboys Nightclub, Hot Mess, Backwards Nightclub, Woody’s, and many more, there is pretty much at least one big event happening every weekend up to Banff Pride! Get ready for that rollercoaster of fun; I know I am looking forward to a lot of work – that is for sure!

Rob and I were able to attend Whistler Pride this year for our third time. It is the only Pride that GayCalgary sponsors and attends outside of Alberta. The event was very well attended with a large number of people coming from around the world. It was interesting to talk to people at the various events and hear how many people have been reading the magazine online. One guy even noted that he enjoyed the interviews that we have done with Kylie Minogue over the past several years, and he told us that he was from Scotland.

For the skiers and snowboarders the weather was great: the mountains were getting fresh snow. At the village level, it was also either raining or snowing, meaning it was pretty much impossible to get those great photos of the mountains that we usually do, due to the cloud covering. Rob was able to get some shots on his new Microsoft Lumia 950 phone, as he was snowboarding, so you will be seeing those included in an updated Whistler BC travel feature later this year. Without spoiling the upcoming feature too much, I was able to enjoy an outdoor winter activity that even Rob was envious that I had the privilege of doing. Also that weekend, because of the upcoming feature, I think I ate the most food I have ever had during a pride weekend.

When Rob and I had planned the Mr./Ms./Mz. GayCalgary feature, it was to celebrate people doing great things in Alberta’s LGBT community. This month, we feature Ms. GayCalgary – Heather Chomos. Sadly, she passed away before we could do the interview and photo shoot with her, so her friends helped us create the feature this month. Heather did know that she was on the list of people we wanted to feature, and had planned to do the interview and photo shoot the next time I was in Lethbridge, which was going to be during Lethbridge Pride. She will definitely be missed this year.

For those who could not make it out to Whistler Pride but enjoy skiing and snowboarding, don’t forget that Jasper Pride is still coming up. The March edition will contain our Jasper Alberta travel feature, plus interviews with some of the talent that will be performing at Jasper Pride, along with an article about Jasper Pride 2016. For those not into skiing or snowboarding, Jasper Pride has you covered with events happening during the daytime too – March 17th to 20th, 2016.

LaBar has been renamed Bodega, 318A 10 St NW, Calgary, AB. They will finally have their grand opening party on February 19th. They have been running since January, but just recently got their liquor license. They now offer a full menu so go down for some great Caribbean food.

And Backwards is opening! Their grand debut is set for March 12th, 2016. Yes, I know they have gone past their prior dates, but I have personally visited the space during the renovations and they can truthfully say that they built the bar from the ground up. The original plans that they had for the space have been pretty much scrapped and totally changed to use the space better. They truly have done things that no gay bar in Alberta could do and, from what I can see, it will be an awesome space that everyone can enjoy.